Cyber incivility: the silent threat shattering teachers’ mental health and happiness at work. Does gender matter?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant changes to the education sector, forcing a rapid shift to distance learning that exposed teachers to new challenges, including cyber incivility. This study, grounded in the Conservation of Resources Theory, investigates how mental health problems mediate the relationship between cyber incivility and happiness at work, with gender as a moderating factor. Data were collected from 632 high school teachers in Türkiye, who participated in distance education, using hypothetical scenarios and analysed through the Hayes Process Macro Model 4 and Model 7. The findings reveal that mental health problems significantly mediate the impact of cyber incivility on workplace happiness, with gender moderating this relationship. Specifically, female teachers experienced more mental health issues due to cyber incivility compared to their male counterparts. This research highlights the harmful effects of cyber incivility on teachers’ mental health and provides critical insights for developing policies to address these challenges. The study emphasises the importance of supporting teachers’ well-being amidst the ongoing digitalisation of education. By addressing these issues, the study contributes to a better understanding of the complexities educators face in the evolving digital landscape. © 2025 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.