Cyberbullying: interpersonal competence, aggression, and school identification.

With the development of and increased access to information and communication technologies a new form of peer to peer aggression, cyberbullying, is on the rise. Research has only started to skim the surface of this new form of bullying but, research has shown that there are numerous negative outcomes associated with cyberbullying involvement whether it is as a cyberbully, a cybervictim, both, or a witness. The current study investigated differences in aggression style, interpersonal competence and school identification based on cyberbullying involvement as a cyberbully, cybervictim, both or witness. As well the current study looked at how gender, age, and grade related to cyberbullying involvement, and the impact of computer time, supervision, and access to technology and location of home computers. One hundred twenty four students in grades six through ten completed questionnaire packages, and there were significant differences found in aggression style; cyberbully-victims had higher reactive aggression than cybervictims, and interpersonal competence, specifically on asserting and conflict resolution subscales with cyberbully-victims having lower competence scores than cybervictims. Significant results were also found for access to technology. A correlational analysis was conducted to examine the relationships between interpersonal competence, aggression, and school identification; numerous significant results were found. As well an exploratory discriminant analysis was conducted to determine if cyberbullying involvement could be predicted based on interpersonal competence, aggression style, and school identification. Implications as they apply to research and prevention are discussed.Master of Arts (MA) in Psycholog

Parental communication and feelings of affiliation in adolescent aggressors and victims of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is an increasingly frequent problem among adolescents, and it produces considerable social concern. Using a cross-sectional and quantitative methodology, the main objective of this study was to analyze the differences among students involved in the perpetration and victimization of cyberbullying (non-involved, occasional, and severe), in their parental communication, and feelings of affiliation with classmates. The sample consisted of 849 adolescents (51.7% boys and 48.3% girls) from 12 to 18 years old (M = 14.5; SD = 1.62). Three comparison groups of aggressors and victims of cyberbullying were formed, depending on the intensity of the intimidation: non-involved, occasional, and severe. The results of the analysis of variance indicated that adolescents involved in cyberbullying as perpetrators or victims have less open and more avoidant communication with their parents than adolescents who are not involved in cyberbullying. Additionally, victims of cyberbullying perceive lower feelings of affiliation with their classmates, whereas cyberbullies show no differences between the groups on this variable. These new results provide insight into the important role of family and peers in the prevention and eradication of the growing problem of cyberbullyin

Implementation and evaluation of an intervention program aimed at cyberbullying and cybervictimization prevention: Combining the ecological system theory and the threat assessment approach

The main aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the Tabby Improved cyberbullying and cybervictimization prevention program, developed by combining the ecological system theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1977, 1979) and the threat assessment approach (Borum et al, 1999; Fein & Vossekuil, 1998, 1999; Fein Vossekuil, & Holden, 1995). To this aim, a short-term longitudinal study was carried out involving 622 Italian students aged between 10 and 17, attending five public middle and high schools in Campania. Participants were random assigned to one of the three conditions provided by the research (experimental, control with risk profile, and control without risk profile), via their classes. All students filled in the Tabby Improved checklist (whose psychometric characteristics were analysed) prior and six months after the intervention (T1 and T2). Results showed a significant decrease in cyberbullying and in cybervictimization among students in the experimental group in comparison with the control group. In particular, the increased awareness about cyberbullying and risky online behaviours mediated the decrease in cyberbullying observed in the experimental group. Findings were discussed in the light of the related literature

Youth Bullying: From Traditional Bullying Perpetration to Cyberbullying Perpetration and the Role of Gender

Youth bullying is a common form of youth violence; and recently, this behavior has diverged into two forms: traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Bullying has typically occurred within the context of school; however, with the aid of electronic devices and the Internet, youth are now able to bully beyond the schoolyard. Cyberbullying is a transmutation of traditional bullying earmarked by anonymity, a lack of guardianship, and physical distance. Using data from the 2009-2010 Health Behaviors of School-aged Children survey, this study examines the relationship between traditional bullying perpetration and cyberbullying perpetration. Logistic regression analyses suggest a relationship exist between the two forms of bullying and the link appears to be verbal and relational aggression. Additionally, gender has been shown to play a role in bullying perpetration with males engaging in all types of bullying behavior at a higher frequency than females

Cyberbullying: Social Competence, Motivation and Peer Relationships = Cyberbullying: competencia social, motivación y relaciones entre iguales

The recognition of some overlap between face to face harassment (bullying) and via digital harassment (cyberbullying) could indicate that variables of social cognition, whose influence has been identified in bullying, also are present in cyberbullying. The aim of this research was to determine the social adjustment of roles involved in cyberbullying and to analyze the differences in the perception of social competence, social goals and peer support, between victims, aggressors and bully-victims of cyberbullying. A number of 505 teenagers (47.3% girls) between 12 and 16 years old (M=13.95, SD=1.42) participated in the study. Validated instruments for Spanish teenagers were used and psychometric properties for the adaptation of the scale of social competence were analyzed. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis showed optimal scores of reliability and validity. The cyber-bullying victims showed greater involvement in cyberbullying. Comparisons between roles with nonparametric tests showed that cyberbullies had the highest levels of peer support and popularity social goals. Cybervictims were highlighted by a high perception of social competence. Cyberbully-victims were described by their high popularity goals and low peer acceptance. These results support the conclusion that the way in which the peer group manages its emotional and social life may be explaining the situation of cyberbullying among teenagers

Being a cybervictim and a cyberbully – The duality of cyberbullying: A meta-analysis

Cyberbullying has been established as a serious problem that affects all countries. However, the phenomenon of duality in cyberbullying, whereby an individual assumes two completely opposite roles, i.e., being a cybervictim and a cyberbully at the same time, has not been sufficiently examined in depth. The study population of this meta-analysis of 22 studies (K = 27) comprised 47,836 adolescents whose mean age was 13.68 years. The effect size of the correlation between being both a cybervictim and a cyberbully was moderate-high (r = 0.428), and its significance was high (p<0.001). The moderator variables sex, age and culture were studied by meta-regression; only culture was found to be significant, explaining 66% of the variance (R2 = 66%). It was found in the data that Central European, Mediterranean culture, North American, South America and Asian culture in particular accounted for most of the moderator effect, while the other two variables were insignificant. The systematic review showed that the group of cyberbully-victims was chiefly formed by females with unstable family links (laissez-faire parental style, lack of communication and rules, offensive communication with parents). Lack of clear, appropriate rules and behavioural patterns in this family type reinforces problematic Internet use, which in turn increases the risk of individuals in this group becoming cybervictims. Longitudinal studies have revealed a series of grave problems and a relation between reporting being a cybervictim in the first survey waves and becoming a cyberbully in later waves. The cybervictim-bully population also proved to be more prone to suffer other psychological disorders (depression and anxiety) and emotional difficulties with peers

Examining the relationship among physical and psychological health, parent and peer attachment, and cyberbullying in adolescents in urban and suburban environments

Cyberbullying is a new phenomenon that has received substantial attention via media. An extensive review of the literature revealed limited nursing research on this topic. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of cyberbullying on adolescents\u27 physical (e.g., headache, stomachache, etc.) and psychosocial (e.g., self-esteem, depression, post traumatic stress syndrome, etc.) outcomes. Individuals who experience repeated traditional bullying are at increased risk for experiencing repeated incidents of cyberbullying. Research has shown that effects of cyberbullying may be more traumatic than traditional bullying because victims can be bullied 24 hours and 7 days a week, on and off school property. A total of 367 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years of age (50.4% females and 49.6 males) in 4th through 12th grades participated in the study. A community-based approach was used to recruit students and collect data from charter schools, recreational centers, church youth groups, and a community organization. Five instruments (The Student Survey; Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment; Depression Self-rating Scale; Children\u27s Somatization Inventory, and a short demographic survey) were used to collect data on the dependent and independent variables. Data analysis used the IBM-SPSS (ver. 19.0) and included chi-square tests for independence, Pearson product moment correlations, logistic regression, and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Data analysis revealed that adolescents from urban and suburban areas are similar in their views of what constitutes cyberbullying and the emotions that are associated with cyberbullying. Adolescents are more likely to view cyberbullying activities more seriously if they are closely attached to their peers and parents. The results also revealed that adolescents may be less likely to report cyberbullying incidents. Physical and mental health did not appear to be problematic for these students. Given the pervasiveness of cyberbullying among adolescents, nurses are in a key position to address cyberbullying through the use of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Nurses have a complete understanding of important health issues related to bullying behaviors and receive training on how to deal with these behaviors. The paucity of research studies regarding cyberbullying and health outcomes support the need for additional exploration of this topic

Cyberbullying and adolescents' self-esteem

Cyberbullying can be defined as the wilful and repeated harm inflicted upon others through the medium of electronic text (Patchin, 2002). Typically, cyberbullying involves sending harassing or threatening e-mails and instant messages, posting derogatory comments of someone on a website, or physically threatening or intimidating someone online. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between adolescents’ experience with cyberbullying and their level of self-esteem. There is a considerable amount of support, which has been accrued over the years, alluding to the fact that incidents involving bullying have damaging consequences upon adolescent development. One such correlation that has earned a considerable amount of interest is the consequence of bullying on selfesteem. Self-esteem can be defined as a favourable or unfavourable attitude toward the self. The current research study employed an exploratory, descriptive quantitative research design. Quantitative research focuses on using empirical data with findings based on certainty. Results are accumulated through formal measurements using prearranged instruments and analysed through the use of statistical measures. Research consisted of the completion of a biographical questionnaire which provided data on the demographics of the sample. The cyber bully/victim questionnaire provided information about the prevalence of cyberbullying behaviours among the participants. James Battle’s Culture-Free Self-Esteem Inventory was utilised to measure the construct of self-esteem. Participants were selected by means of non-probability sampling and comprised of a sample of grade seven learners enrolled at a primary school in George, Western Cape. Quantitativedata, obtained from the self-report questionnaires, were analysed through the use of descriptive statistics, ANOVA statistics and a Pearson R correlation coefficient. One key finding revealed that over fifty percent (51.40%) of the grade 7 participants had been involved in cyberbullying behaviours. No significant relationship was found to exist between cyberbullying and selfesteem in the grade 7 sample. Self-esteem scores did not vary significantly among the cyberbullies, cybervictims, cyberbully-victims and bystanders in the sample

Ajuste psicosocial en cibervíctimas y ciberagresores en educación secundaria

The rise of cyberbullying among high school students and the importance of certain variables of psychological adjustment for the comprehension of this type of violent behavior both in bullies and in victims. This work aims to analyze the psychological profile of individuals involved in situations of cyberbullying, both victims and bullies. The adjustment variables analyzed were self-concept, perceived stress, loneliness, depressive symptomatology, social anxiety, life satisfaction, and emotional intelligence. Using a sample of 1318 adolescents (47% boys), aged between 11 and 18 years (M = 13.8, SD = 1.32), three contrast groups were established for cybervictims (severe cybervictims, moderate cybervictims, and non-cybervictims) and three groups for cyberbullies (severe cyberbullies, moderate cyberbullies, and non-cyberbullies). The results obtained through analysis of variance showed that both cybervictims and cyberbullies show deterioration in most of the studied dimensions, albeit with a different profile. Severe cybervictims showed higher scores in perceived stress, loneliness, depression, and social anxiety, and lower scores in self-concept, life satisfaction, and emotional intelligence, in comparison with non-cybervictims. Severe cyberbullies obtained higher scores in perceived stress, loneliness, and depression, and lower scores in self-concept and life satisfaction, compared to non-cyberbullies. These results allow deepening our comprehension of cyberbullying among students to improve preventive and intervention programs in schools.El auge de las agresiones cibernéticas entre estudiantes de secundaria y la importancia de ciertas variables de ajuste psicosocial para la comprensión de este tipo de conducta violenta, tanto en agresores como en víctimas, plantean como objetivo en el presente trabajo analizar el perfil psicosocial de ambos implicados en situaciones de ciberagresión. Las variables de ajuste analizadas fueron autoconcepto, estrés percibido, soledad, sintomatología depresiva, ansiedad social, satisfacción con la vida e inteligencia emocional. A partir de una muestra de 1318 adolescentes (47% chicos), de entre 11 y 18 años, se establecieron tres grupos de contraste para cibervíctimas (víctimas severas, moderadas y no cibervíctimas) y tres grupos para ciberagresores (ciberagresores severos, moderados y no ciberagresores). El análisis de varianza mostró que los implicados presentan perfiles psicosociales diferentes y deteriorados. Las cibervíctimas severas mostraron mayor estrés percibido, soledad, depresión y ansiedad social, y menor autoconcepto, satisfacción con la vida e IE, en comparación con las no cibervíctimas. Los ciberagresores severos mostraron mayor estrés percibido, soledad y depresión, y menor autoconcepto y satisfacción con la vida, comparativamente con los no ciberagresores. Estos resultados permiten profundizar en la comprensión del ciberacoso entre estudiantes y mejorar los programas preventivos y de intervención en escuelas

Cyberbullying Analysis in Intercultural Educational Environments Using Binary Logistic Regressions

The goal of this study is to analyze how religion, ethnic group, and race influence the likelihood of becoming either a cybervictim or cyberbully in intercultural educational environments. In the research, 755 students in secondary education were analyzed in the south of Spain through the Cyberbullying Scale for students with Cultural and Religious Diversity (CSCRD). The analyses were carried out using the Statistical Package SPSS and the STATA software. The results obtained from the Kruskal–Wallis H test showed significant differences according to these aspects, for both the cybervictim and cyberbully parameters. The results stemming from binary logistic regressions confirmed such differences and regarded those students who belong to the Muslim religion, the gypsy ethnic group and the Asian race as being more likely to become cybervictims. Furthermore, these analyses showed that Gypsy and Asian students were also more likely to be cyberbullies than other groups. The main conclusions state that minority groups are more likely to suffer cyberbullying in intercultural educational environments, and that students from these groups are also more likely to become cyberbullies