"Virtual counseling was a lifeline" - Lived experiences of adolescent cyberbullying victims during the COVID-19 pandemic: An IPA study

Digital communication platforms and increasing screen time during the COVID-19 pandemic made cyberbullying a significant public health issue for adolescents. Despite this urgent issue, qualitative research on adolescent cyberbullying victims' counselling interventions, particularly during the pandemic, remains limited. Hence, this novel study sought to explore the lived experiences of adolescent victims of cyberbullying receiving counselling interventions during this period through an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) lens. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of ten high school students (seven females and three males, mean age = 15.12 ± 0.81) who had attended at least five counselling sessions during the pandemic as victims of cyberbullying. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using IPA guidelines by Atlas.ti 8. We explored five personal experiential themes and eighteen subthemes were identified from the analysis: 1) Intensified Emotional Turmoil from Cyberbullying pointed out the deep emotional and psychological distress cyberbullying took on adolescents, particularly during the pandemic. 2) Navigating Internal and External Hurdles in Seeking Support outlined the barriers these adolescents faced in accessing counselling, such as privacy concerns and technical issues. 3) Counselling as a Crucial Support System emphasized how counselling assists in dealing with the impact of cyberbullying. 4) An Evolving Sense of Self-Perception explored the positive changes in self-identity and emotional resilience emerged through counselling. 5) Sense of Sustained Development and Personal Growth illustrated their self-commitment to continue follow-up sessions. This study emphasized that Virtual counselling, despite its limitations, emerged as a vital resource for the personal growth and development of the participants during the pandemic.