Mapping the Landscape of Social Media Cyberbullying Research: A Scopus Bibliometric Study

Abstract - The rapid adoption of social media has reshaped interactions and contributed to the general issue of cyberbullying,defined as electronic harassment or intimidation. This study provides a bibliometric review of studies conducted between 2012and 2024 on cyberbullying on social media, with the aim of mapping trends, identifying influential contributors, and assessingthe impact of various publications in the field. A total of 207 publications from the Scopus database were analyzed using VOSviewer and Microsoft Excel to identify publication trends, perform citation analysis, and assess country-specificcontributions. The results indicate a steady increase in publications, peaking in 2023, but with a decline in average citationsper publication from 2021 to 2023, suggesting a potential shift in research focus or quality. The United States was the topcontributor, with the most publications (35) and citations (1,152), while countries like Canada and Australia, despite fewer publications, demonstrated high citation rates in the field. Analysis of keywords revealed a growing focus on machine learning and classification techniques in understanding cyberbullying. The most influential sources included Lecture Notes in Computer Science and IEEE Access, both playing pivotal roles in disseminating high-impact research. Notably, key authors such as Robin M. Kowalski and Mark D. Griffiths have significantly shaped the field. This research highlights the need for highquality, interdisciplinary research to tackle the evolving challenges of cyberbullying, with implications for both academic scholarship and policy development. Future research should aim to diversify data sources and incorporate qualitative analyses to enhance the understanding of cyberbullying's complex dynamics.