WHERE DOES ELECTRONIC AGGRESSION FIT?: A COMPARISON OF DIMENSIONAL AND CATEGORICAL MODELS OF ADOLESCENT AGGRESSION

Electronic aggression is a rapidly growing focus of research, but it lacks a unifying theoretical framework that is necessary to advance the field. The lack of a theoretical framework has led to inconsistencies in measurement of electronic aggression, making it difficult to draw conclusions across studies. In general, researchers have assumed that electronic aggression constitutes a new form of aggression, a counterpart to physical, verbal, and relational aggression, due to unique features surrounding the perpetration of electronic aggression. Furthermore, researchers have treated electronic aggression as a categorical variable based on the assumption that “cyberbullies” constitute a distinct group of adolescents. However, these assumptions have not been empirically tested. It is possible that media represents an additional dimension on which aggression can be classified. The purpose of this study was to test competing models of aggression. It was hypothesized that form of aggression (i.e., physical, verbal, and relational) would be more salient in explaining relations among aggressive behaviors than media (in-person or electronic). It was also hypothesized that adolescents who perpetrated aggression would not be distinguished by what media they used to perpetrate aggression. Finally, it was hypothesized that a dimensional model would provide a better explanation of aggression than a categorical one. Participants were 1052 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students from three public schools in a medium-sized city in the southeastern United States. All grades were approximately equally represented (352 sixth grade students, 350 seventh grade students, 340 eighth grade students). The racial composition of the sample was 76% Black or African American, 15% multiracial, 6% European American, and 2% American Indian or Alaska Native. Fifteen percent of participants reported that their ethnicity was Hispanic or Latino. Data were collected in the fall, winter, spring, and summer beginning in the winter of 2010. Due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, one data point was randomly selected for each participant. Among other measures, participants completed the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale - Revised, a self-report measure that assessed the extent to which they engaged in physical, verbal, relational, and electronic aggression. Interestingly, a confirmatory factor analysis that took both media and form into account provided the best model to explain adolescent aggression. A latent profile analysis revealed two groups of adolescents: a moderately aggressive class and a low aggressive class. As hypothesized, neither group was distinguishable by the media they used to perpetrate aggression. Also as hypothesized, a comparison of the confirmatory factor analysis model and the two-class solution of the latent profile analysis indicated that a dimensional model provided the best fit. This study supports a theoretical framework of aggression in which aggression is classified both by form and media

Cyberbullying among adolescents: Measures in search of a construct

Objective: This review focuses on the literature on cyberbullying among adolescents. Currently, there is no unified theoretical framework to move the field of cyberbullying forward. Due to some unique features of cyberbullying, researchers have generally assumed that it is distinct from aggression perpetrated in person. Many measures of cyberbullying have been developed based on this assumption rather than to test competing models and inform a theoretical framework for cyberbullying. Approach: We review current theory and research on cyberbullying within the context of the broader literature on aggression to explore the usefulness of the assumption that cyberbullying represents a distinct form of aggression. Associations between cyberbullying and general forms of aggression and psychosocial predictors of cyberbullying are discussed. Conclusions: Based on the empirical research, we suggest that the media through which aggression is perpetrated may be best conceptualized as a new dimension on which aggression can be classified, rather than cyberbullying as a distinct counterpart to existing forms of aggression. Research on cyberbullying should be considered within the context of theoretical and empirical knowledge of aggression in adolescence. Using this approach will create a theoretical framework for understanding cyberbullying, focus future research, and guide prevention efforts

Adolescent Experiences with Online Racial Discrimination: Implications for Prevention and Coping.

Online aggression represents a wide range of negative experiences, including online discrimination targeting individuals based on race, but adolescent perspectives are not well-represented. We interviewed 15 adolescents regarding their experiences with online racial discrimination. After a phenomenological analysis, four main themes emerged: types of online racial aggression, processes supporting online racism, personal coping, and strategies to prevent online racial aggression. These themes provided insights into adolescent experiences, including feelings about targeted online racial discrimination, intersectionality with sexual harassment, and comfort through processing with friends. This study highlights adolescents\u27 thoughts regarding advocacy, education, and social media reform to prevent online racial aggression. Future research should ensure that youth voices from minoritized racial backgrounds are integrated into efforts to address these critical social issues

BAFS_Measurement_Study_R2_Table_S-1_JEA_2018_05_17 – Supplemental material for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale

<p>Supplemental material, BAFS_Measurement_Study_R2_Table_S-1_JEA_2018_05_17 for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale by Albert D. Farrell, Amie F. Bettencourt and Krista R. Mehari in The Journal of Early Adolescence</p

BAFS_Measurement_Study_R2_Table_S-2_JEA_2018_05_17 – Supplemental material for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale

<p>Supplemental material, BAFS_Measurement_Study_R2_Table_S-2_JEA_2018_05_17 for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale by Albert D. Farrell, Amie F. Bettencourt and Krista R. Mehari in The Journal of Early Adolescence</p

BAFS_Measurement_Study_R2_Table_S-3_JEA_2018_05_17 – Supplemental material for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale

<p>Supplemental material, BAFS_Measurement_Study_R2_Table_S-3_JEA_2018_05_17 for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale by Albert D. Farrell, Amie F. Bettencourt and Krista R. Mehari in The Journal of Early Adolescence</p

Beliefs_about_Fighting_Scale_unblinded_R2 – Supplemental material for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale

<p>Supplemental material, Beliefs_about_Fighting_Scale_unblinded_R2 for Beliefs About Fighting and Their Relations to Urban Adolescents’ Frequency of Aggression and Victimization: Evaluation of the Beliefs About Fighting Scale by Albert D. Farrell, Amie F. Bettencourt and Krista R. Mehari in The Journal of Early Adolescence</p

Assessment of In-Person and Cyber Aggression and Victimization, Substance Use, and Delinquent Behavior During Early Adolescence

© The Author(s) 2018. This study evaluated the Problem Behavior Frequency Scale–Adolescent Report (PBFS-AR), a measure designed to assess adolescents’ frequency of victimization, aggression, substance use, and delinquent behavior. Participants were 1,263 students (50% female; 78% African American, 18% Latino) from three urban middle schools in the United States. Confirmatory factor analyses of competing models of the structure of the PBFS-AR supported a model that differentiated among three forms of aggression (in-person physical, in-person relational, and cyber), two forms of victimization (in-person and cyber), substance use, and delinquent behavior. This seven-factor model fit the data well and demonstrated strong measurement invariance across groups that differed on sex and grade. Support was found for concurrent validity of the PBFS-AR based on its pattern of relations with school office discipline referrals

Identification of Patterns of Dating Aggression and Victimization Among Urban Early Adolescents and Their Relations to Mental Health Symptoms

© 2016 American Psychological Association. Objective: The aim of this study was to identify patterns of dating aggression and victimization in urban early adolescents and their relations to mental health symptoms. Method: Participants were students in 3 urban public middle schools who reported having a boyfriend or girlfriend in the past 3 months (n = 938). The sample (M = 13.3 years old) was 52% female, 73% African American, 15% multiracial, 4% White, and 8% other races; 13% were also Hispanic or Latino. Participants reported their frequency of experiencing and perpetrating 10 dating aggression behaviors. Results: Latent class analysis identified typologies of dating aggression and victimization. The best fitting model was a 5-class model that classified youth as uninvolved (54.6%), victims (8.3%), aggressors (9.7%), psychologically aggressive victims (22.0%), and aggressive victims (5.4%). Groups also differed on measures of trauma-related distress and problem behaviors, specifically physical aggression, even after consideration of exposure to community violence. Conclusions: These findings suggest that subtypes of dating aggression exist in middle school that are characterized by differing levels and types of involvement and relations to mental health symptoms. These results support the need for prevention and intervention programs focusing on early adolescent dating aggression, particularly to also prevent trauma-related distress and problem behaviors

The Dosage, Context, and Modality of Interventions to Prevent Cyberbullying Perpetration and Victimization: a Systematic Review.

Past reviews of cyberbullying preventative interventions have critiqued the field regarding scientific rigor, and a meta-analysis found that randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of such interventions were more effective than non-RCTs. However, no review has examined the risk of bias, dosage, modality, and delivery context of such programs to date. The current study addresses this gap through a systematic review of the literature. Potential articles (N = 4,737) from 4 databases were identified and screened (Academic Search Premier including ERIC, PsychINFO, and the Psychology and Behavioral Collection; PubMed; Web of Science; Compendex); 72 articles were reviewed for eligibility. Final articles included (N = 30) were based on a rigorous search process guided by inclusion and exclusion criteria. The majority of studies were conducted in Europe; two were conducted in the USA, three in Australia, and two in the Middle East. Efforts to reduce risk of bias were evaluated using the Cochrane\u27s Risk of Bias tool. Harvest plots were constructed to qualitatively illustrate the rigor, dosage, modality, and context of the interventions, and meta-analytic random effects models were conducted to examine effect sizes of the interventions on cyberbullying perpetration and victimization. Results suggest that cyberbullying interventions delivered through schools are effective, though expanded follow-up time is suggested, and additional evidence is needed for home settings and digital delivery