The Effect of Personal Fable on Cyberbullying Tendencies Among Junior High School Students in Medan

The digital era has transformed adolescent social interactions, introducing new risks such as cyberbullying. Adolescents are particularly vulnerable to engaging in or becoming victims of online aggression due to developmental factors, including cognitive and emotional immaturity. This study aims to examine the effect of personal fable on cyberbullying tendencies among adolescents. A quantitative approach was used with 235 students from SMP Negeri 31 Medan as participants. Instruments used include the adapted New Personal Fable Scale (Lapsley et al.) and a researcher developed cybberbullying scale based on Willard's typology. The data obtained were then processed using simple regression analysis.  The results indicate a significant positive relationship between personal fable and cyberbullying tendencies. These findings suggest that adolescents with high levels of personal fable are more prone to engage in online aggressive behavior due to a heightened sense of uniqueness and perceived immunity from consequences. The findings are expected to contribute to educational psychology by providing insights for developing effective interventions in schools.