The Effectiveness of Intervention Programs for Cyberbullying in Schools: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This item is only available electronically.Background: Cyberbullying is a problem that affects children in schools around the world. Many intervention programs have been introduced to combat this threat. The ever-changing nature of this phenomenon necessitates an updated systematic review on the literature concerning the implementation of intervention programs. Objective: To produce a systematic review and meta-analysis of the existing literature to discover whether cyberbullying intervention programs are effective at reducing perpetration and victimisation. Methods: Data from twelve independent studies were gathered from a comprehensive search of seven databases. The studies investigated intervention programs which compared an intervention group who participated in the program to a control group which consisted of a classroom from either the same or a different school. Random effects models were produced to compare the standardized mean differences of the studies which enabled the calculation of an overall effect size for the outcome in question. Heterogeneity statistics and 95% confidence intervals were utilised to assess the significance of the effect sizes of the meta-analyses. Results: Significant effects were found with relation to cyberbullying perpetration (-0.30 [-0.56, -0.04]) and cybervictimisation (-0.28 [-0.51, -0.05]). High levels of heterogeneity were also found with regards to cyberbullying perpetration, which produced an I2 value of 96% and cybervictimisation which produced an I2 value of 92%. Conclusions: The existing cyberbullying intervention programs were found to be effective at reducing cyberbullying perpetration and cybervictimisation. The results of the meta analyses should be treated with caution however, due to their heterogeneity levels exceeding the recommended limit.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 201

Associations of Traditional and Peer Cyber-Victimization With Adolescents' Internet Use: A Latent Profile Analysis

Significant overlap exists between traditional victimization and peer cyber-victimization. Yet, they can also be somewhat differentiated. Adopting person-centered approaches, studies showed that multiple classes of peer victimization are distinguishable. In particular, this study analyzed the differences in Internet use, Internet motives and behavior and ethical media use of adolescents who are victimized only (or mainly) online (i.e., "cyber-victims"), their peers who are victimized at school ("traditional victims"), students who are frequently victimized both offline and online ("dual victims"), and students who are not victimized. A sample of 1377 Italian adolescents (49.5% females, age M = 16.13, SD = 1.27) completed self-report questionnaires of traditional and peer cyber-victimization and a variety of Internet-related measures. Latent profile analysis yielded four distinct groups: non-victims (79.6% of the sample), traditional victims (9.2%), cyber-victims (9.1%), and dual victims (2.1%). Among the four groups, dual victims, that is, adolescents who are frequently victimized both at school and online, showed the most problematic use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Dual victims and cyber-victims also reported to engage more frequently than the other groups in a variety of Internet activities (e.g., role-playing games and visiting adult sites). Traditional victims reported more coping and conformity motives for using Internet compared to non-victims and, in the latter case, also to cyber-victims. The current findings may help to better understand the link between traditional victimization and peer cyber-victimization with adolescent's use of information and communication technologies and may inform prevention and educational programs about positive use of new technologies among adolescents

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

Risiko- und Schutzfaktoren, Folgen und Prävention

Acknowledgements v Table of contents vii List of tables and figures xi Tables xi Figures xi Abstract xii Zusammenfassung xvi 1 Introduction 20 2 Theoretical background 26 2.1 Definitional issues 27 2.2 Risk and protective factors for cyberbullying 42 2.3 Consequences of cyberbullying 53 2.4 Intervention and preventive approaches to cyberbullying 59 2.5 Design of the dissertation 64 3 Study 1: Definition of cyberbullying 68 3.1 Abstract 69 3.2 Introduction 70 3.3 Aims of the present study 73 3.4 Method 74 3.5 Results 77 3.6 Discussion 84 3.7 References 89 4 Study 2: Social-Behavioural Correlates of Cyberbullying 92 4.1 Abstract 93 4.2 Introduction 94 4.3 Method 95 4.4 Results 96 4.5 Discussion 98 4.6 References 99 5 Study 3: Is cyberbullying related to lack of empathy and social-emotional problems? 101 5.1 Abstract 102 5.2 Introduction 103 5.3 Research questions 104 5.4 Method 105 5.5 Results 107 5.6 Discussion 110 5.7 References 113 6 Study 4: Emotional and behavioral problems in the context of cyberbullying 118 6.1 Abstract 120 6.2 Introduction 121 6.3 Method 127 6.4 Results 131 6.5 Discussion 138 6.6 References 147 7 Study 5: Targeting cyberbullying in school 152 7.1 Abstract 154 7.2 Introduction 155 7.3 The classroom-based preventive intervention program “Medienhelden” 160 7.4 Method 162 7.5 Results 168 7.6 Discussion 172 7.7 Conclusions 174 7.8 References 176 8 General discussion 184 8.1 Summary of studies 184 8.1.1 Study 1: Definition of cyberbullying 184 8.1.2 Study 2: Social-Behavioral correlates of cyberbullying 187 8.1.3 Study 3: Is cyberbullying related to lack of empathy and social-emotional problems? 188 8.1.4 Study 4: Emotional and behavioral problems in the context of cyberbullying 189 8.1.5 Study 5: Targeting cyberbullying in school 191 8.2 Definition of cyberbullying 193 8.3 Potential risk and protective factors of cyberbullying 201 8.4 Potential impact of cyberbullying 205 8.5 Implications for the prevention of cyberbullying 210 9 Limitations and outlook 214 10 References 218 Curriculum vitae 243 Erklärung 245The aim of the present dissertation was to contribute to existing knowledge on cyberbullying in adolescence regarding definitional criteria, potential risk factors, consequences of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration and to evaluate a preventive intervention based on these results. The research questions were: (a) How are cyberbullying behaviors and definitional criteria perceived by adolescents and which term do they use for these behaviors?; (b) Are cognitive and affective empathy as well as different subtypes of aggression risk factors for cyberbullying perpetration and victimization?; (c) Are depressiveness, loneliness, social withdrawal, psychopathological symptoms and different subtypes of aggression potential consequences of being a victim or perpetrator of cyberbullying? and (d) Can a preventive intervention implemented in a classroom context and targeting cognitive and affective empathy, among others, successfully reduce cyberbullying? Five successive studies with different foci were used to investigate the research questions. Study 1 examined different definitional criteria and behavior types and asked students about the term they would use to describe these behaviors. 70 adolescents in 9 focus groups in three European countries indicated that country-specific terms are needed to describe cyberbullying. The behavior type of impersonation was not perceived as a cyberbullying act. Further, the results of this study showed that the definition criteria interact, but cyber- specific criteria are not decisive for the definition. Repetition and intention as well as the impact on the victim were perceived as important aspects. The study showed that the criteria of previously proposed definitions are applicable, but that they should be broadened to include the impact on the victim. For Germany, this study was a first indication that using the term “Cybermobbing” is adequate when working with adolescents. Study 2 examined differences in cognitive and affective empathy as well as relational aggression with regard to different involvement groups (cyberbullies and cybervictims vs. non-involved students) in a cross-sectional design. 71 students provided data which showed that perpetrators and victims of cyberbullying exhibited significantly lower levels of affective empathy and higher levels of relational aggression than non-involved students. The results indicate that a lack of affective empathy and increased levels of relational aggression might be risk factors for cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. Study 3 used data from 77 students in a short-term longitudinal design to investigate whether cognitive and affective empathy predicted cyberbullying perpetration and victimization and whether perpetration and victimization predicted psychopathological symptoms and social withdrawal. Only perpetration was predicted by a lack of affective empathy. Cognitive empathy levels predicted neither perpetration nor victimization. Neither social withdrawal nor psychopathological symptoms were predicted by either perpetration or victimization. These results indicate that a lack of affective empathy might be a risk factor for cyberbullying perpetration, but social withdrawal and psychopathological symptoms are possibly not consequences of cyberbullying perpetration or victimization, at least not in the short term. Study 4 used cross-sectional data from 412 students and short-term longitudinal data from 223 students to examine differences in and prediction of depressiveness, loneliness, instrumental aggression and reactive aggression. No differences were found for depressiveness and loneliness between the involvement groups (cyberbullies, cybervictims and cyberbully- victims vs. non-involved students) at t1. All involvement groups showed higher levels of instrumental aggression than non-involved students and both perpetrator groups were more reactively aggressive. Regression models differed by gender. Female cyberbullying victims were more depressive, and reactively and instrumentally aggressive at t2. Female cyberbullying perpetrators were more reactively aggressive whereas female cyberbully-victims showed decreases in reactive aggression at t2. Male cybervictims did not show changes in any of the variables. Male cyberbullies showed decreases in depressiveness while male cyberbully-victims showed increases in loneliness. The results indicate that the consequences of cyberbullying differ by gender and for perpetrators and victims and bully-victims. Aggression seemed to be an important consequence for all involvement groups and the study results suggest a strong need for action to prevent cyberbullying perpetration and victimization from escalating further. Study 5 analyzed the long-term effects of two versions of a cyberbullying preventive intervention targeting cognitive and affective empathy, and cyberbullying directly. Data from 722 students showed differential changes in the two intervention groups and one control group. The program was able to reduce cyberbullying and increase cognitive and affective empathy and moreover showed stronger effects for the longer version. The results indicate that reducing cyberbullying by focusing on cognitive and affective empathy in the school context is possible. This study provides empirical support for one of the first theoretically-based and evaluated programs against cyberbullying nationally and internationally. Overall, the results of the present dissertation contribute to the current knowledge on cyberbullying by providing information on students’ perception of specific behaviors and definitional aspects, by identifying potential risk factors and consequences of cyberbullying and by introducing an effective preventive intervention based on these previous findings. The studies fill some of the gaps of previous cyberbullying research and are of special value because they include longitudinal data. They also provide suggestions for future research directions and topics.Ziel der vorliegenden Dissertation war es, zum Wissen über Cybermobbing in der Adoleszenz hinsichtlich Definitionskriterien, möglichen Risikofaktoren, Folgen von Cybermobbing-Opferschaft und -Täterschaft beizutragen und eine auf diesen Ergebnissen basierende präventive Intervention zu evaluieren. Die Forschungsfragen waren: (a) Wie werden Cybermobbing-Verhaltensweisen und -Definitionskriterien von Jugendlichen wahrgenommen und welchen Begriff verwenden sie für diese Verhaltensweisen?; (b) Stellen kognitive und affektive Empathie sowie verschiedene Subtypen von Aggression Risikofaktoren für Täterschaft und Opferschaft bei Cybermobbing dar?; (c) Sind Depressivität, Einsamkeit, sozialer Rückzug, psychopathologische Symptome und verschiedene Subtypen von Aggression mögliche Folgen von Cybermobbing-Täterschaft oder -Opferschaft? und (d) Kann eine präventive Intervention, die im Klassenkontext umgesetzt wird und, unter anderem, auf kognitive und affektive Empathie abzielt Cybermobbing effektiv verringern? Fünf aufeinander folgende Studien mit unterschiedlichen Schwerpunkten dienten der Untersuchung der Forschungsfragen. Studie 1 untersuchte verschiedene Definitionskriterien und Verhaltensweisen und befragte Schüler danach, mit welchem Begriff sie diese Verhaltensweisen beschreiben würden. Aus den Antworten von 70 Jugendlichen aus 9 Fokusgruppen in drei europäischen Ländern wurde deutlich, dass länderspezifische Begriffe notwendig sind um Cybermobbing zu beschreiben. Das Verhalten „Identitätsdiebstahl“ wurde nicht als Cybermobbinghandlung wahrgenommen. Darüber hinaus zeigten die Ergebnisse dieser Studie, dass die Definitionskriterien miteinander interagieren, die cyberspezifischen Kriterien jedoch für die Definition nicht entscheidend sind. Wiederholung und Absicht sowie die Auswirkungen auf das Opfer wurden als wichtige Merkmale betrachtet. Die Studie zeigte, dass die Kriterien aus bislang vorgeschlagenen Definitionen zutreffend sind, dass sie aber um die Auswirkungen auf das Opfer erweitert werden sollten. In Bezug auf Deutschland ist diese Studie ein erster Hinweis darauf, dass die Verwendung des Begriffs „Cybermobbing“ in der Arbeit mit Jugendlichen angemessen ist. Studie 2 untersuchte mit Hilfe eines Querschnittdesigns Unterschiede in der kognitiven und affektiven Empathie sowie in der relationalen Aggression in Bezug auf unterschiedliche Beteiligungsgruppen (Cybertäter und Cyberopfer vs. nicht-involvierte Schüler). Daten waren verfügbar von 71 Schülern und sie zeigten, dass Täter und Opfer von Cybermobbing signifikant niedrigere Werte von affektiver Empathie und signifikant höhere Werte auf der Skala zur relationalen Aggression aufwiesen als nicht-involvierte Schüler. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass ein Mangel an affektiver Empathie und hohe Werte relationaler Aggression mögliche Risikofaktoren für Opferschaft und Täterschaft bei Cybermobbing darstellen. Studie 3 verwendete Kurzzeitlängsschnittdaten von 77 Schülern und erforschte, ob kognitive und affektive Empathie die Täterschaft und Opferschaft bei Cybermobbing vorhersagte und ob Täter- und Opferschaft psychopathologische Symptome und sozialen Rückzug vorhersagen konnten. Nur die Täterschaft wurde durch einen Mangel an affektiver Empathie vorhergesagt. Das Ausmaß an kognitiver Empathie sagte weder Täter- noch Opferschaft vorher. Ebenso wurden weder sozialer Rückzug noch psychopathologische Symptome durch Täter- oder Opferschaft vorhergesagt. Diese Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass ein Mangel an affektiver Empathie ein Risiko für die Täterschaft bei Cybermobbing sein könnte. Sozialer Rückzug und psychopathologische Symptome sind jedoch möglicherweise keine Folgen von Täter- oder Opferschaft, zumindest nicht auf kurze Sicht. Studie 4 verwendete Querschnittsdaten von 412 Schülern und Kurzzeitlängsschnittdaten von 223 Schülern um Unterschiede in und die Vorhersage von Depressivität, Einsamkeit, instrumenteller Aggression und reaktiver Aggression zu untersuchen. Es wurden keine Unterschiede für Depressivität und Einsamkeit zwischen den beteiligten Gruppen (Cybertäter, Cyberopfer und Cybertäter-Opfer vs. nicht-involvierte Schüler) zu t1 gefunden. Alle involvierten Gruppen wiesen höhere Werte instrumenteller Aggression auf als nicht-involvierte Schüler und beide Tätergruppen waren zudem stärker reaktiv aggressiv. Die Regressionsmodelle zeigten Geschlechterunterschiede. Weiblich Cyberopfer waren zu t2 depressiver und stärker reaktiv und instrumentell aggressiv. Weibliche Cybertäter waren stärker reaktiv aggressiv während weibliche Cybertäter-Opfer eine Abnahme in reaktiver Aggression zu t2 zeigten. Männliche Cyberopfer zeigten keine Veränderung auf irgendeiner der Variablen. Männliche Cybertäter zeigten eine Abnahme der Depressivität während männliche Cybertäter-Opfer eine Zunahme der Einsamkeit zeigten. Die Ergebnisse deuten darauf hin, dass die Folgen von Cybermobbing nach Geschlecht variieren sowie nach Täter, Opfer und Täter-Oper. Aggression schien eine wichtige Folge für alle beteiligten Gruppen zu sein und die Ergebnisse weisen auf ein großes Handlungsbedürfnis zur Prävention von Cybermobbing-Täterschaft und –Opferschaft hin um eine weitere Eskalation zu verhindern. Studie 5 analysierte die Langzeiteffekte zweier Versionen einer präventiven Intervention gegen Cybermobbing, die auf kognitive und affektive Empathie und direkt auf Cybermobbing abzielt. Daten von 722 Schülern zeigten differentielle Veränderungen in den beiden Interventionsgruppen und der einen Kontrollgruppe. Das Programm konnte Cybermobbing reduzieren und kognitive und affektive Empathie steigern. Darüber hinaus zeigte die längere Version die besseren Effekte. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass es möglich ist, Cybermobbing durch die Förderung von kognitiver und affektiver Empathie im Schulkontext zu reduzieren. Die Studie bietet eine empirische Untermauerung eines der national und international ersten, theoretisch fundierten und evaluierten Programme gegen Cybermobbing. Insgesamt tragen die Ergebnisse der vorliegenden Dissertation zum aktuellen Wissensstand über Cybermobbing bei, indem sie Kenntnisse über die Wahrnehmung von Schülern bezüglich spezifischen Verhaltensweisen und definitorischen Merkmalen liefert, mögliche Risikofaktoren und Folgen von Cybermobbing identifiziert und eine wirksamkeitsnachgewiesene präventive Intervention vorstellt, die auf diesen bisherigen Befunden aufbaut. Die Studien füllen einige Lücken der bisherigen Cybermobbingforschung und sind aufgrund des Einbezugs von Längsschnittdaten von besonderem Wert. Zudem liefern sie Anregungen für zukünftige Forschungsrichtungen und -themen

Communicative Media Competence of Acting and Opera Teachers During Online Training of Future Opera Singers in Ukraine and the USA

The relevance of research on the given topic is that the competence of a teacher largely depends on their communication skills, as well as on the ability to adapt to working in the media space, which is required by modern education. This is especially relevant for the teachers of the art subjects, in particular the skills of an actor and opera singing, because remote training of specialists in these disciplines requires a high level of teachers' competence. The purpose of the submitted article is to study the media competence of teachers of acting skills and opera class during online training of future opera singers, to develop reliable diagnostic methods of communicative media competence and to compare the obtained indicators of teachers of educational institutions in Ukraine and the USA. The basis of the methodology is a combination of theoretical approaches with empirical observations and thematic survey, which allows to reliably investigate the level of communicative media competence of teachers of art disciplines. A comparative analysis of indicators of communicative media competence of acting and opera teachers of higher educational institutions of Ukraine and the USA demonstrated a certain advantage of teachers of American universities in the ability to work in social networks and organize online events, in psychological readiness to work in front of the camera, in tolerance for users of networks; at the same time, the indicators of situational adaptability, organizational skills and mastering of the means of social behaviour of effective communication are practically not different between teachers of Ukraine and the USA. The results of the research allow drawing conclusions about the expediency and necessity of improving the communicative media competence of teachers in Ukrainian universities, because remote teaching of stage disciplines, although it requires additional skills and abilities, can be not only effective, but also has certain advantages

Can Acting Out Online Improve Adolescents’ Well-Being During Contact Restrictions? A First Insight Into the Dysfunctional Role of Cyberbullying and the Need to Belong in Well-Being During COVID-19 Pandemic-Related Contact Restrictions

Connecting with peers online to overcome social isolation has become particularly important during the pandemic-related school closures across many countries. In the context of contact restrictions, feelings of isolation and loneliness are more prevalent and the regulation of these negative emotions to maintain a positive well-being challenges adolescents. This is especially the case for those individuals who might have a high need to belong and difficulties in emotional competences. The difficult social situation during contact restrictions, more time for online communication and maladaptive emotion regulation might lead to aggressive communication patterns in the form of cyberbullying perpetration. In an online study with N = 205 adolescents aged 14–19 (M = 15.83, SD = 1.44; 57% girls), we assessed the frequency of online and offline contacts, need to belong, emotion regulation problems, feelings of loneliness, and cyberbullying perpetration as predictors of adolescents’ well-being. In particular, we explored whether cyberbullying perpetration might function as a maladaptive strategy to deal with feelings of loneliness and therefore predicts well-being. This effect was expected to be stronger for those with a higher need to belong and with higher emotion regulation problems. Results of a hierarchical regression analysis revealed that well-being was significantly predicted by less emotion regulation difficulties, less feeling isolated and more cyberbullying perpetration. We also tested whether the need to belong or emotion regulation problems moderated the association between cyberbullying and well-being. While the results for emotion regulation problems were not significant, the moderation effect for the need to belong was significant: For students with a high need to belong, well-being was more strongly related to cyberbullying perpetration than for students with a medium need to belong. For students with a low need to belong, cyberbullying was not significantly associated with well-being. That cyberbullying perpetration predicted well-being positively is rather surprising in the light of previous research showing negative psychosocial outcomes also for cyberbullying perpetrators. The moderation analysis provides a hint at underlying processes: In times of distance learning and contact restrictions, cyberbullying may be a way of coming into contact with others and to regulate loneliness maladaptively

Cyberbullying in educational context

Kustenmacher and Seiwert (2004) explain a man’s inclination to resort to technology in his interaction with the environment and society. Thus, the solution to the negative consequences of Cyberbullying in a technologically dominated society is represented by technology as part of the technological paradox (Tugui, 2009), in which man has a dual role, both slave and master, in the interaction with it. In this respect, it is noted that, notably after 2010, there have been many attempts to involve artificial intelligence (AI) to recognize, identify, limit or avoid the manifestation of aggressive behaviours of the CBB type. For an overview of the use of artificial intelligence in solving various problems related to CBB, we extracted works from the Scopus database that respond to the criterion of the existence of the words “cyberbullying” and “artificial intelligence” in the Title, Keywords and Abstract. These articles were the subject of the content analysis of the title and, subsequently, only those that are identified as a solution in the process of recognizing, identifying, limiting or avoiding the manifestation of CBB were kept in the following Table where we have these data synthesized and organized by years

Divergent perceptual processes on cyberbullying between victims and aggressors: construction of explanatory models

Para comprender las causas del comportamiento agresivo de los adolescentes en y a través de los medios y recursos tecnológicos es preciso analizar a fondo los criterios que consideran que identifican y definen el ciberacoso, así como la red de relaciones que se establece entre los distintos criterios. El presente estudio ha pretendido hacer una incursión en el intento de comprender las estructuras y mecanismos subyacentes que determinan las percepciones de los agresores y las víctimas del fenómeno del ciberacoso. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 2148 adolescentes (49,1% niñas; SD = 0,5) de edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 16 años (M = 13,9; SD = 1,2). Los datos recogidos mediante un cuestionario validado para este estudio cuyas dimensiones se confirmaron a partir de los datos extraídos de los grupos focales y un CFA de las submuestras de la víctima y el agresor. El análisis de los datos se completa con el CFA y la construcción de modelos estructurales. Los resultados han demostrado la importancia e interdependencia del desequilibrio de poder y la intención de dañar en la estructura perceptiva de los agresores. Los criterios de anonimato y repetición se relacionan con la asimetría de poder, dando mayor prominencia a este factor. En su estructura perceptiva aparece también el criterio de "relación social", que indica que las manifestaciones del ciberacoso se interpretan a veces como pautas de comportamiento que se han extendido masivamente entre la población adolescente, y se han aceptado como una forma normalizada e inocua de comunicación con otros adolescentes. En la estructura perceptiva de las víctimas, el factor clave es la intención de hacer daño, estrechamente vinculada a la asimetría del poder y la publicidad. El anonimato, la venganza y la repetición también están presentes en esta estructura, aunque su relación con el acoso cibernético es indirecta. Estos resultados permiten diseñar medidas de prevención e intervención más eficaces, estrechamente adaptadas para abordar directamente los factores que se consideran predictores del riesgo.Understanding the causes of adolescents’ aggressive behavior in and through technological means and resources requires a thorough analysis of the criteria that they consider to be identifying and defining cyberbullying and of the network of relationships established between the different criteria. The present study has aimed at making a foray into the attempt to understand the underlying structures and mechanisms that determine aggressors’ and victims’ perceptions of the cyberbullying phenomenon. The sample consisted of 2148 adolescents (49.1% girls; SD = 0.5) of ages from 12 to 16 (M = 13.9; SD = 1.2). The data collected through a validated questionnaire for this study whose dimensions were confirmed from the data extracted from the focus groups and a CFA of the victim and aggressor subsamples. The analysis of the data is completed with CFA and the construction of structural models. The results have shown the importance and interdependence of imbalance of power and intention to harm in the aggressors’ perceptual structure. The criteria of anonymity and repetition are related to the asymmetry of power, giving greater prominence to this factor. In its perceptual structure, the criterion “social relationship” also appears, which indicates that the manifestations of cyberbullying are sometimes interpreted as patterns of behavior that have become massively extended among the adolescent population, and have become accepted as a normalized and harmless way of communicating with other adolescents. In the victims’ perceptual structure the key factor is the intention to harm, closely linked to the asymmetry of power and publicity. Anonymity, revenge and repetition are also present in this structure, although its relationship with cyberbullying is indirect. These results allow to design more effective measures of prevention and intervention closely tailored to addressing directly the factors that are considered to be predictors of risk

Cyberbullying prevention in schools:a literature review on cyberbullying and its supported theories and technologies

Abstract. As education is recognized as a component of wellbeing, schools play a pivotal role in fostering students’ knowledge and skills to strengthen their social and emotional wellbeing, benefiting both individuals and the wider community. To fulfil this responsibility, schools must aim to prevent conflicts that may negatively impact students’ socio-emotional wellbeing, such as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying, a modern form of bullying facilitated by digital mediums, poses a growing concern due to its potential to cause serious mental and emotional harm to young people. As a relatively new field of study, cyberbullying prevention has gained significant interest from researchers, educators, parents, and policymakers. However, the current focus of research and prevention efforts primarily revolves around traditional bullying, leaving a gap in understanding and addressing cyberbullying adequately. This thesis aims to bridge the gap between theory and practice in cyberbullying prevention by exploring different prevention strategies through the lens of various theories. By conducting a comprehensive literature review, the study examines how these theories inform and support the prevention of cyberbullying within school settings. Furthermore, the research investigates the implementation and efficacy of these prevention strategies in real-world contexts