Search Results (81)

Cyberbullying generally reveals two leading players: the attacker side (perpetrator) and the victim side; each side has its distinctive social and psychological dynamics. In most prior empirical studies, the victim side is pivotal, as it bears the direct psychological and emotional consequences of online aggression. Recently, cyberbullying victimisation has been elevated as a main psychological concern among university students. Nevertheless, the moderating role of family support remained untested, particularly in a collectivist cultural context such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). This study tested the impacts of cyberbullying victimisation on mental health consequences (anxiety, stress, and depression) among KSA university students. The study further tested family support as a moderator in these relationships. Data was collected from 650 students employing a self-structured survey. The data obtained was analyzed using “Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling” (PLS-SEM). The findings revealed that cyberbullying-victimization can significantly raise students’ anxiety, stress, and depressive signs, supporting its place as a critical psychological risk factor. Contrary to the “traditional stress-buffering theory”, family support failed to alleviate the influence of cyberbullying-victimization on anxiety and stress, and unexpectedly, higher levels of family support were related to higher depressive levels, suggesting a reverse-buffering impact. These results highlighted the complicated relationships between family support and emotional outcomes in the context of digital threats. The study stressed the urgent need for culturally delicate mediations, such as training sessions for digital resilience, and colleague-based supportive systems to successfully deal with the mental health consequences of cybervictimization. Full article

Background/Objectives: Although parental mediation has been widely recognized as a protective factor against cyberbullying, evidence regarding restrictive mediation remains inconsistent and sometimes contradictory. This inconsistency underscores the need to identify potential moderators. The present study examines whether parent–child relationship qualities (trust and alienation) and child gender moderate the associations between restrictive mediation and both cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization. Methods: Participants included 2075 adolescents (M_age = 16.50, SD = 3.11; 926 boys) from Grades 7–12 in urban China. Self-report measures assessed restrictive mediation, parent–child trust and alienation, and adolescents’ involvement in cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization. Results: Parental restrictive mediation and parent–child alienation were positively associated with adolescents’ cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization, whereas parent–child trust was negatively associated with both outcomes. Moreover, parent–child alienation significantly moderated the associations between parental restrictive mediation and cyberbullying, such that restrictive mediation predicted higher levels of cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization under conditions of greater alienation. These moderating effects were particularly pronounced among boys, whereas for girls, the association was weaker or non-significant. Conclusions: These findings suggest that inconsistencies in prior research may be explained by variations in parent–child alienation and gender. The results highlight the need to foster trust and reduce alienation in parent–child relationships, rather than relying solely on restrictive Internet control, to prevent adolescents’ involvement in cyberbullying. Full article

Cyberbullying is a public health concern in adolescence that requires measures with valid and comparable evidence across subgroups. This study examined the validity and reliability evidence of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIP-Q) in Peruvian adolescents. Using an instrumental cross-sectional design, 729 students aged 12–18 years (M_age = 14.6; SD = 1.27) from Lima, Trujillo, and Piura were recruited through non-probabilistic sampling. Items were treated as ordinal; polychoric correlations were estimated (WLSMV, theta parameterization), and a reproducible prevalence-based recoding was applied to mitigate pileups in category 0. Competing CFA and ESEM models were tested for 22- and 19-item specifications, incorporating two residual covariances for “mirror-pair” items. Sex invariance was evaluated at configural, metric, and scalar levels. The two-factor, 19-item ESEM with two residual covariances showed the best fit (χ² = 291.164; df = 130; CFI = 0.982; TLI = 0.976; RMSEA = 0.041 [0.035–0.048]; SRMR = 0.091). Reliability was adequate for cybervictimization (CR = 0.737, ω = 0.888, factor determinacy [fd] = 0.965) and cyberaggression (CR = 0.282, ω = 0.805, fd = 0.938). Cyberbullying dimensions correlated positively with aggression and moral disengagement and weakly with empathy. Regarding sociodemographic variables, cyberbullying was associated with age, grade, and Internet use; moreover, cyberaggression was higher in boys than in girls. Having more friends and better relationships with teachers were negatively associated with cyberbullying, whereas perceiving the school environment as unsafe was positively associated with cyberbullying. Overall, the 19-item ECIP-Q demonstrates acceptable structural validity, reliability, and sex invariance in Peruvian adolescents, supporting its use for screening and monitoring school coexistence. Full article

This study examined the effects of perceived parenting styles and restrictive parental internet intervention on adolescents’ cyberbullying behaviors in Macau. A survey conducted in 2023 gathered responses from 708 secondary school students aged 12 to 18. The findings indicated that fathers’ authoritative and permissive parenting styles were positively associated with adolescents’ experiences of cyberbullying, both as perpetrators and victims. Mothers’ authoritative style was significantly associated with increased cyber-victimization. Notably, when mothers used an authoritative style and also applied restrictive internet intervention strategies—such as time or content controls—adolescents reported higher levels of cyber-victimization. These results suggest that rigid control, if not combined with open communication, may heighten risk. This study highlights the importance of involving both parents—particularly fathers—in adolescent media education and calls for increased awareness in social work, education, and family policy to prevent and mitigate cyberbullying in the digital age. Full article

Background/Objectives: Organized physical activity is frequently considered a protective factor against bullying behaviors, yet evidence within the university context remains limited. This study investigates the relationships between physical activity levels, body mass index (BMI), and involvement in traditional and digital bullying, taking into account the differences between students with and without structured sports training. Methods: A total of 2767 first-year students from Transylvania University of Brașov participated. The sports group (n = 161; 65 females, 96 males) was compared to the non-sports group (n = 2606; 1472 females, 1134 males). Instruments included the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents (PAQ-A), validated scales for traditional and cyberbullying and victimization, and BMI calculation. Statistical analyses involved t-tests (two-tailed), 2 × 2 factorial ANOVA, and sex-stratified multiple linear regressions. Results: Students with sports training reported higher physical activity (PAQ-A 4.2–4.6), lower BMI, and lower bullying involvement (traditional ≈ 14–21% vs. ≈32%; cyber ≈ 8–17% vs. ≈25%). Group differences were large for physical activity (Hedges’ g ≈ 1.5) and moderate for BMI and bullying (g ≈ 0.68–0.96; point-biserial r² ≈ 3–4%). ANOVA showed sports status main effects (partial η_p² ≈ 4–5% for bullying/BMI; ≈20% for PAQ-A). In regressions, sports status (B = −0.30 to −0.44) and physical activity (B = −0.22 to −0.32) predicted lower aggression/victimization, whereas BMI showed positive associations (B = 0.11 to 0.18) (all p < 0.001). Sex × sports interactions were significant for PAQ-A and for traditional and cyber-victimization. Conclusions: Structured physical activity contributes to reducing the risk of bullying involvement and supports better psychosocial adjustment among students. These findings underscore the educational and preventive potential of university sports programs. Full article

Understanding the scope of cyberviolence against women and girls in adolescents and the differences between girls and boys is a fundamental starting point for its prevention. This study analyzes the experiences of cyberaggression and cybervictimization perpetrated and suffered by 762 adolescents (399 girls and 363 boys) aged 14 and 15 in the Balearic Islands (Spain) through a diagnostic study of an electronic survey administering the Gender Violence 2.0 questionnaire. The descriptive results show that, in general, the majority of boys and girls do not commit or suffer from sexist behaviors in digital environments. A crosstab analysis (p < 0.001) confirms that, as expected, girls commit less cyberaggression and suffer more cybervictimization, while boys were more often the cyberaggressors and less frequently the victims. Specifically, boys claim to be cyberaggressors more often than girls, especially in relation to cybervictimization associated with sexual violence, impositions of beauty standards, and anti-patriarchal manifestations; girls claim to be cybervictims more often than boys, primarily experiencing cyberviolence related to partner cyber control and beauty standards. These results reinforce the need to design differentiated programs for the prevention of this cyberviolence: for boys, it should be focused on the cyberaggression committed, and for girls, it should be focused on identifying and coping with cyberaggression received. Full article

Background: Adolescence is a critical stage for the development of behaviours related to problematic Internet and social media use, as well as for the experience of cybervictimisation. The literature highlights the need to examine these types of adolescent behaviours. Method: A field study was designed to analyse the prevalence of problematic Internet and social media use, as well as cybervictimisation, sexting, and grooming. In total, 666 Spanish adolescents participated, 55.4% females and 44.6% males, with an age range between 14 and 18 years (M = 15.27, SD = 1.01). Results: The results showed that 15.8% of the participants were diagnosed as at risk for Internet and social media addiction; 27.2% of the participants were diagnosed as cyberbullying victims; 14.7% of the sample engaged in sexting behaviours, and 34.7% engaged in grooming behaviours. Additionally, significant gender differences were found in cybervictimisation behaviours, with females scoring higher. Conclusions: The findings are discussed in relation to the need to develop preventive and educational strategies that promote the safe and responsible use of the digital context. Full article

The rising prevalence of cyberbullying in online environments has raised concerns about the well-being and safety of individuals. The objective of this research is to explore if the dark triad traits (Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism) function as mediators in the connections between maternal psychological control, paternal psychological control, cyberbullying, and cybervictimization. A sample of 1016 young adults participated in an online survey, providing self-reported data. The results revealed complex relationships among the variables examined. While most direct and indirect links were statistically significant, the direct connection between maternal psychological control and cyberbullying was significant only when paternal psychological control was not simultaneously included as a predictor. Furthermore, narcissism’s mediating effects were beneficial when Machiavellianism and psychopathy were excluded and negative otherwise. The results highlight that individuals with high degrees of parental psychological control are more prone to engage in manipulative actions and lack empathy, leading to cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Future research should disentangle the distinct roles of maternal and paternal control, investigate the interplay among dark triad traits in different social contexts, and consider how peer dynamics and digital environments may amplify or mitigate these effects. Full article

Cyberbullying is a violent phenomenon that threatens health and development in adolescence. Some studies suggest that minority groups or those who deviate from socially desirable characteristics are at a greater risk of cyberbullying. However, there have been few studies on social stigma-based cyberbullying (SSB). This study aims to carry out the following: to know the prevalence of roles of involvement in cyberbullying and SSB cyberbullying; to understand the possible relationships between SSB cybervictimization and SSB cyberaggression and the different dimensions of moral disengagement, moral emotions and social and emotional competencies; and to know the possible statistical associations between roles and the variables described above. A total of 601 secondary school students took part in this study, aged 12–19 (M = 14.22, SD = 1.355). A self-report battery of scales was employed to measure the constructs under investigation, and various statistical analyses were conducted. The results show that 22.29% are recognized as cybervictims, 7.82% as cyberaggressors and 35.11% as cybervictims/cyberaggressors in general cyberbullying. In SSB cyberbullying, the percentages were 20.30%, 3% and 8.32%, respectively. Moreover, it was revealed that SSB cyberaggression was related to moral disengagement and SSB cybervictimization was related to moral emotions. Social competence and emotional competence were positively related to social stigma-based cybervictimization. The results are discussed and new lines of research and interventions focused on social competences and moral emotions are proposed. Full article

This study explores the relationships among cyberbullying, emotion management, and well-being, with a focus on economically disadvantaged students. Employing a reflective factor model, we disentangle emotion management into four dimensions and explore how cyberbullying impacts these facets, influencing academic success and well-being. We also investigate the moderating role of sport spectatorship. Using survey data collected from 846 economically disadvantaged students in grades 7 to 12, within a racially diverse Texas school district (USA), we employed structural equation modeling (SEM) to examine relationships among the measured variables. The students were in grades 7 to 12, categorizing participants into spectatorship-adherent and non-spectatorship groups based on their sports-watching habits. Our findings emphasize the importance of addressing cyberbullying’s impact on emotion management and underline the potential for sport spectatorship to mitigate these effects. Our findings reveal that cyberbullying victimization significantly impairs adolescents’ emotion management (β = −0.33, p < 0.01), contributing to increased school absences (β = 0.41, p < 0.001) and offenses (β = 0.19, p = 0.02). Notably, sports spectatorship appears to buffer these negative outcomes for economically disadvantaged youth, enhancing overall well-being (β = 0.29, p < 0.01). This study ventures into the unexplored territory of sport viewership as a cost-effective intervention strategy, offering valuable implications in supporting adolescent well-being. Full article

Introduction/objectives: Brain development changes during adolescence are directly linked to various cognitive and behavioral challenges characteristic of this stage. The main objective of this study is to investigate the risks associated with Internet use and its relationship with Executive Functions (EFs) and anxiety in a representative sample of Spanish secondary school students. Methods: The sample consisted of 1164 participants (48% males) aged 12 to 17 years (M age = 14.86; SD = 1.41) from five selected academic centers. Executive Functions were assessed using the Adolescent and Adult Executive Functioning Questionnaire (ADEXI), anxiety was measured with the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21), and Problematic Internet Use (PIU) was evaluated with the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). Results: Significant positive correlations were found between the PIU, EF, anxiety, and cyberbullying variables. Predictive models were developed to explain the different variables. Conclusions: The results emphasize the need to increase awareness of these issues and to develop effective intervention strategies. Programs that promote responsible Internet use, along with classroom activities addressing anxiety and Executive Functions, could provide clear benefits. Full article

The spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has brought advantages and disadvantages, particularly impacting youth, who use the Internet and social media applications daily. In preadolescents’ social development, problematic social media use (PSMU) and cyberbullying (CB) are potential risk factors across several countries. PSMU is defined as the lack of regulation of social media platforms that is associated with negative outcomes in everyday life, while CB refers to using digital technology to harass, threaten, or embarrass another person. Among preadolescents, CB perpetration is frequently associated with cybervictimization (CV) experiences. The underlying mechanisms that drive this relationship have received limited attention. The aim of the cross-national comparative study, rooted in the general aggression model, is to investigate the direct and indirect effects between cyberbullying perpetration and cybervictimization, testing a model involving PSMU and moral disengagement (MD) as serial mediators in this association. A total of 895 Italian and Spanish preadolescents (M_age = 11.23, SD_age = 1.064) completed a self-report survey during school hours. Descriptive statistics were computed, and a serial mediation model was run. The results show that CV is positively associated with CB, and that PSMU and MD positively serially mediate the CV–CB link. This study’s insights suggest the need for tailored educational interventions targeting European youth, to promote more positive online social interactions and a safer digital environment. Full article

Background: The daily and massive use of the Internet and social media by adolescents has led to increased interest and attention to prevalence rates, risk factors, and potential consequences of different forms of online victimization. This study aims to examine the possible associations between cybervictimization and online sexual harassment among 697 Italian adolescents (M_age = 15.17; SD = 0.68; 42.3% female), understanding the contribution of individual and school risk factors. Methods: A short longitudinal design was used to test a path model where emotional/behavioral problems and school climate predicted cybervictimization and online sexual harassment, controlling for their co-occurrence. Results: The results show similar prevalence among the two phenomena with a consistent reciprocal association (ρs = 0.426**). Regarding predictors, cybervictimization at Wave 5 is predicted by the problematic peer relationships with peers (β = 0.164*, SE = 0.068) and lack of school cohesion (β = −0.189*, SE = 0.086) assessed at Wave 4. In contrast, online sexual harassment at Wave 5 is predicted by the presence of emotional symptoms (β = 0.248***, SE = 0.077) and the absence of social norms (β = −0.254**, SE = 0.085) measured at Wave 4. Conclusion: Online sexual harassment and cybervictimization are related phenomena with a co-occurrence of around 22%; being a victim of cybervictimization is positively associated with being a victim of OSH-P. However, risk factors are different: cybervictimization is more easily explained by social and contextual factors, while online sexual harassment is explained by individual factors. Full article

There is limited knowledge about time trends in cyberbullying involvement, and whereas previous studies have often focused on various mental health outcomes, possible outcomes of cyberbullying may concern a wide range of areas. A better understanding of cyberbullying development over time, as well as of the possible consequences, is needed for effective prevention and intervention efforts. The aims of this study were (i) to gain knowledge of time trends in cyberbullying among Norwegian adolescents, and (ii) to better understand how different forms of cyberbullying involvement is related to a variety of outcomes. Data from the Norwegian Ungdata surveys (2014–2016) were used to assess involvement in cyberbullying over time. Associations with cyberbullying involvement and four outcome variables (belief in a good and happy life, loneliness, school thriving, and depressive symptoms) were assessed using logistic regression analyses. Across years of study, the prevalence rates for cyberbullying involvement were 1.5% for perpetration, 3% for victimization, and 1% for perpetration-victimization. Compared with non-involvement, involvement in cyberbullying in any role was associated with poorer outcomes on all variables. Cyber-victims who were also perpetrators were less likely to have high levels of loneliness and depressive symptoms, compared to cyber-victims only. The prevalence of cyberbullying involvement among adolescents in Norway was relatively unchanged between 2014 and 2016. Cyberbullying involvement is associated with negative outcomes related to mental health, loneliness, school thriving, and beliefs in one’s personal future, and victims of cyberbullying appear to be the most vulnerable group. Full article

Although research has shown both positive and negative mental health correlates of social media use, few studies focus on adolescents who are receiving intensive psychiatric care. The purpose of this study was to describe problematic media use, experiences of cybervictimization and sextortion, and correlates with adolescents’ health in a sample of adolescents (N = 97; 53.6% female) in a partial psychiatric hospitalization program. Approximately one-quarter of participants reported being cybervictimized at least once over the past month and 17.5% of participants reported ever experiencing sextortion. Greater problematic media use was associated with lower physical activity and greater feelings of loneliness. In a subsample of 51 participants, questions were asked regarding who they had gone to for support regarding experiences of online harm, and barriers to disclosing such experiences. The majority of youth who experienced cybervictimization indicated going to a friend for support but rarely endorsed telling a mental health clinician about it. Even fewer disclosed their experience of sextortion, with nearly half reporting not telling anyone (44.4%). Given the rates of online harm experienced by youth in acute psychiatric treatment, screening for and conducting brief interventions on problematic or risky social media use is recommended. Full article