Acoso y ciberacoso, ¿qué es igual y qué es distinto? Un análisis de clases latentes

Bullying and cyberbullying are risky behaviours which normally occur during adolescence. Although an important relationship has been recognized between the two phenomena, issues related to their prevalence, the similarity and difference between them, the transfer of roles, as well as the emotional, social, and moral aspects associated with them, remain unresolved. The aim of this study was to explore the roles ofinvolvement in bullying and cyberbullying through an analysis of latent classes, and examine their association with moral disengagement, social and normative adjustment, and anger rumination. The study had a two-stage longitudinal design, with 3,006 secondary school students (Mage= 13.53; 51.9% girls), using extensively validated self-reports in the reference population. The results showed four latent classes: uninvolved, victim-cybervictim, bully victim and wholly involved. Logistic regression analyses identified a low social adjustment in those wholly involved, low normative adjustment and high moral disengagement in mixed profiles, and high anger rumination in all involvement profiles, mainly in bully-victim. These results are discussed in terms of their value in understanding the distinctions between bullying and cyberbullying, the existence of pure and mixed roles, and the associated emotional, social, and moral variablesEl acoso escolar y el ciberacoso se presentan como comportamientos de riesgo durante la adolescencia. Aunque se ha reconocido una importante relación entre ambos fenómenos, aspectos referidos a su prevalencia, la semejanza y diferencia entre uno y otro, la transferencia de roles, así como los aspectos emocionales, sociales y morales asociados aún están sin resolver. El objetivo fue explorar los perfiles de implicación en acoso y ciberacoso a través de un análisis de clases latentes y examinar su asociación con desconexión moral, ajuste social y normativo y rumiación de la ira. Se presenta un estudio longitudinal en dos tiempos con 3,006 escolares de secundaria (Medad= 13.53; 51.9% chicas). Se utilizaron autoinformes ampliamente validados en la población de referencia. Los resultados mostraron cuatro clases latentes: no implicados, víctimas-cibervíctimas, agresores victimizados y totalmente implicados. Análisis de regresión logística identificaron un bajo ajuste social en los totalmente implicados, bajo ajuste normativo y alta desconexión moral en perfiles mixtos, y alta rumiación de la ira en todos los perfiles de implicación, principalmente en agresores victimizados. Se discuten estos resultados en términos de su valor para comprender los matices que distinguen el acoso y ciberacoso, de la existencia de roles puros y mixtos y de las variables emocionales, sociales y morales asociadas

Editorial: Analysing Psychosocial and Contextual Factors Underpinning Bullying and Cyberbullying

Studies about bullying have identified it as a public health problem, with serious academic and psychosocial consequences. The extant literature defines bullying as an intentional phenomenon, repeated over time, which is sustained by the relational dominion-submission model established between victims and aggressors, and that is generallymaintained by a lack of bystander intervention and indifferent bystander attitudes. This behavior pattern of aggressive interaction has been further broadened and diversified through the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) that has given rise to what is commonly known as cyberbullying

Differences in perceived popularity and social preference between bullying roles and class norms

The aim of this study was to examine differences in perceived popularity and social preference of bullying roles and class norms. In total, 1,339 students (48% girls) participated: 674 primary school (M = 10.41 years, SD = 0.49) and 685 secondary school students (M = 12.67 years, SD = 0.80). Peer nominations and perceptions of class norms were collected. The results showed the highest perceived popularity among aggressors and defenders, except in anti-bullying primary school classes, where aggressors had low levels of popularity. In pro-bullying secondary school classes school, female victims had the lowest popularity levels. These findings suggest that class norms and personal variables as gender and school levels are important to understand bullying roles. Practical implications are discussed to guide teachers and practitioners according to the importance to adapt antibullying programs to the characteristics of the group in each school level and gender

Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement in the Transition from Cybergossip to Cyberaggression: A Longitudinal Study

The internet is an area where young people establish relationships and develop socially, emotionally and morally, but it also gives rise to certain forms of online behaviour, such as cybergossip, which are associated with cyberaggression and other risky behaviour. The aims of this study were to verify whether a longitudinal association exists between cybergossip and cyberaggression, and to discover which mechanisms of moral disengagement may mediate this relationship. The final sample consisted of 1392 students (50% girls; Mage = 13.47; SD = 0.77), who were surveyed in a three-wave longitudinal study at six-month intervals. The results obtained confirmed a direct, positive relationship between cybergossip, subsequent cyberaggression and the mediation exerted by cognitive restructuring in this transition. We discuss the importance of recognizing and detecting the fine distinction between online gossip and cyberaggression with the intention of doing harm, and focus on the justifications used by young people to normalize online bullying. To sum up, there is a clear need to encourage ethical, responsible behaviour in online interactions in order to achieve well-balanced, more sustainable relationships in classrooms

Bullying Perpetration, Moral Disengagement and Need for Popularity: Examining Reciprocal Associations in Adolescence

Precursors and consequences of bullying have been widely explored, but much remains unclear about the association of moral and motivational factors. This study examined longitudinal associations between need for popularity, moral disengagement, and bullying perpetration. A total of 3017 participants, aged 11 to 16 years in wave 1 (49% girls; Mage = 13.15, SD = 1.09), were surveyed across four waves with six-month intervals. At the between-person level, cross-lagged modeling revealed a positive bidirectional association between moral disengagement and need for popularity; bullying perpetration was predicted by both need for popularity and moral disengagement. From the within-person level, random intercept cross-lagged analyses revealed that need for popularity predicted both moral disengagement and bullying perpetration. The results highlight the interplay between motivational and moral mechanisms that underlies bullying behavior

Acoso y ciberacoso, ¿qué es igual y qué es distinto? Un análisis de clases latentes

Bullying and cyberbullying are risky behaviours which normally occur during adolescence. Although an important relationship has been recognized between the two phenomena, issues related to their prevalence, the similarity and difference between them, the transfer of roles, as well as the emotional, social, and moral aspects associated with them, remain unresolved. The aim of this study was to explore the roles of involvement in bullying and cyberbullying through an analysis of latent classes, and examine their association with moral disengagement, social and normative adjustment, and anger rumination. The study had a two-stage longitudinal design, with 3,006 secondary school students (Mage = 13.53; 51.9% girls), using extensively validated self-reports in the reference population. The results showed four latent classes: uninvolved, victim-cybervictim, bully-victim and wholly involved. Logistic regression analyses identified a low social adjustment in those wholly involved, low normative adjustment and high moral disengagement in mixed profiles, and high anger rumination in all involvement profiles, mainly in bully-victim. These results are discussed in terms of their value in understanding the distinctions between bullying and cyberbullying, the existence of pure and mixed roles, and the associated emotional, social, and moral variables.El acoso escolar y el ciberacoso se presentan como comportamientos de riesgo durante la adolescencia. Aunque se ha reconocido una importante relación entre ambos fenómenos, aspectos referidos a su prevalencia, la semejanza y diferencia entre uno y otro, la transferencia de roles, así como los aspectos emocionales, sociales y morales asociados aún están sin resolver. El objetivo fue explorar los perfiles de implicación en acoso y ciberacoso a través de un análisis de clases latentes y examinar su asociación con desconexión moral, ajuste social y normativo y rumiación de la ira. Se presenta un estudio longitudinal en dos tiempos con 3,006 escolares de secundaria (Medad = 13.53; 51.9% chicas). Se utilizaron autoinformes ampliamente validados en la población de referencia. Los resultados mostraron cuatro clases latentes: no implicados, víctimas-cibervíctimas, agresores victimizados y totalmente implicados. Análisis de regresión logística identificaron un bajo ajuste social en los totalmente implicados, bajo ajuste normativo y alta desconexión moral en perfiles mixtos, y alta rumiación de la ira en todos los perfiles de implicación, principalmente en agresores victimizados. Se discuten estos resultados en términos de su valor para comprender los matices que distinguen el acoso y ciberacoso, de la existencia de roles puros y mixtos y de las variables emocionales, sociales y morales asociadas

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

The Role of Family in Bullying and Cyberbullying Involvement: Examining a New Typology of Parental Education Management Based on Adolescents’ View of Their Parents

The influence of the family in children’s involvement in bullying and cyberbullying has been well documented. However, previous research into this relationship seems to have overlooked recent social changes, which have affected the family context. The aim of this study is to put forward a categorization of the current educational management of Spanish parents and examine how this is linked to their children’s involvement in bullying and cyberbullying. To achieve this, 2060 schoolchildren from the South of Spain (47.9% girls with mean age = 14.34) answered four questionnaires including the Scale for the Assessment of the Parenting Styles of Adolescents’ Mothers and Fathers, the Discipline Dimensions Inventory, the European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, and the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire. The Cluster Analysis results revealed a typology containing six styles: permissive, authoritarian, strict, normative democratic, indulgent democratic, and punitive democratic. Lower levels of victimization and aggression in bullying and cyberbullying were found to be linked to the indulgent democratic or normative democratic styles and higher levels to the authoritarian and strict styles. The value of parents’ educational practices and how they are combined in general styles, since these are elements that can predispose or prevent adolescent’s involvement in bullying and cyberbullying, is discussed