Search Results (644)

Cyberbullying has emerged as a significant concern for the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents, yet evidence from nationally representative surveys in Latin America remains limited. This study examined correlates of cyberbullying victimization among Costa Rican youth using data from the 2023 Kids Online survey. The initial sample consisted of 1200 participants aged 9–17 years; however, analyses were restricted to the 264 respondents who reported having experienced offensive or unpleasant treatment by a peer during the previous year and therefore completed the cyberbullying follow-up items. Descriptive analyses and nonparametric tests were conducted to examine demographic differences, followed by an ordinal logistic regression model evaluating individual, family, and school-related correlates, including age, caregiver supervision of internet use, teacher support, negative emotional experiences associated with online activities, and engagement in online aggressive behaviors toward peers. Among respondents reporting peer victimization, 13.2% met the study criterion for cyberbullying victimization, defined as online victimization occurring at least once per month. Older age was associated with higher levels of cyberbullying victimization, whereas sex was not a significant predictor after adjustment for other variables. The regression model revealed nonlinear associations between cyberbullying victimization and both caregiver supervision and teacher support, suggesting patterns consistent with reactive supervision. In addition, negative emotional online experiences emerged as one of the correlates of victimization, while online aggressive behavior showed a marginal positive association. These findings suggest that, among victimized youth, cyberbullying victimization reflects a complex interaction of individual characteristics, emotional experiences, and the quality and timing of adult guardianship. Prevention efforts should therefore emphasize proactive, trust-based support from families and schools, alongside strategies that strengthen adolescents’ emotional resilience and digital citizenship. Full article

Despite intimate partner violence (IPV) being a global issue, research on societal attitudes focuses on victim-survivor over and above perpetrator characteristics. Across two studies, we investigated whether judgements (measured across victim blame, perceived criminality, and anticipated harm) differed as a function of perpetrator sex (male, female) and whether the perpetrator reported a general (Study 1: n = 183) or specific (physical, mental) disability (Study 2: n = 237). After controlling for variation in personality, beliefs, and demographics, we consistently observed punitive judgements (i.e., less victim blame, and higher perceived criminality and anticipated harm) for vignettes depicting the perpetrator as male and not disabled. Findings are discussed within frameworks that examine the intersection of disability and violence, and how typical depictions of perpetrators of IPV mitigate the recognition of IPV and the minimisation thereof. We call for an international, qualitative exploration into the role of disability in IPV through the experiences of victim-survivors and perpetrators, and further interrogation into how disability in this context impacts victim-blame reduction interventions, support provision, and legal system responses. Full article

Background: Bullying represents a complex problem affecting students of all ages. Among the factors that influence it, appraisals of the transgressions and bystanders’ responses play a very important role. The present study examined adults’ emotional, evaluative, and behavioral responses to hypothetical bullying scenarios varying by bullying type and victim ethnicity. It also explored whether psychological distress was associated with bystanding behaviors as well as previous bullying experiences. Methods: The study used a mixed 3 × 4 vignette-based design. Victim ethnicity (i.e., Romanian, Roma, or Hungarian) was manipulated between participants, while bullying type was manipulated within participants through four scenarios describing physical, verbal, indirect, and cyberbullying. The final sample included 477 adults aged between 18 and 52 years. Participants appraised each transgression (i.e., empathic reactions, unacceptability), reported their likely bystander behavioral intentions (i.e., defend, ignore, report or join the aggression), completed the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21) and reported previous bullying experiences as victim, witness, and aggressor. Results: Bullying type was the most consistent factor shaping participants’ appraisals as well as bystander reactions. The most tolerated forms were indirect bullying (e.g., highest probability to join the aggression) and verbal bullying (e.g., lowest unacceptability) the least accepted was physical bullying (e.g., lowest probability to join the aggression) while cyberbullying elicited specific patterns (i.e., lower empathy but higher willingness to report the incident). Victim ethnicity had a very limited effect, only concerning reporting intentions: lower for Hungarian targets compared to Romanian. Psychological distress was mainly associated with previous victimization and witnessing, while associations with scenario-based responses were smaller and more specific. Conclusions: The findings suggest that bystander responses are differentiated across bullying forms and prevention efforts should address subtle, indirect, verbal, and online forms of bullying, as these may be more easily normalized or less directly confronted. Full article

Participation in organized sports has been shown to enhance youths’ development, improve mental health symptoms, and maintain overall well-being. Research on the outcomes of bullying in the youth population shows the opposite. Youth from marginalized communities in particular—specifically sexual and gender minority or lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex, asexual (LGBTQIA+) youth—are at an increased risk of being victims of bullying than their counterparts. However, there is a gap in the literature on the relationship between the three variables. Thus, this review explored the relationship between bullying among sexual and gender minority youth and its impact on the level of engagement in organized sports participation. Psychosocial risk factors and responses are identified, and suggestions for sports programs are proposed. A total of 16 articles, categorized by sexual and gender identity groups to further highlight the current literature on specific groups, were included in the final synthesis of this review. The findings revealed a range in the experiences of bullying and levels of sports participation among LGBTQIA+ youth, highlighting individual differences and impacts of various factors. The findings also emphasized the importance of involvement from schools, administrators, and policymakers in creating a safer, inclusive environment for LGBTQIA+ youth to increase engagement in sports, ultimately improving overall well-being and development. Full article

Background/Objectives: Secondary victimization (SV) following sexual assault (SA) is known to compound negative health outcomes for survivors seeking help within formal systems, such as healthcare. While there have been advances in preventing SV and support for SA survivors seeking help within healthcare, experiences of SV persist alongside worsening health disparities, particularly among disenfranchised populations of women. This literature review aims to examine the literature on HCP approaches to practices that may contribute to the SV of SA survivors. Methods: Following the PRISMA 2020 guidelines, the literature from three databases (PubMed, CINAHL Plus, and PsycINFO) was collected, followed by the screening of the titles, abstracts, and full texts of primary data sources available in full text and published in English between 2009 and 2022. The articles included for synthesis were appraised using the Johns Hopkins Nursing Evidence-Based Practice Model (JHNEBP), and the data extracted were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Four HCP approaches to practice were found to potentially contribute to the SV of SA survivors: (1) incomprehensive care in clinical practice; (2) a lack of collaboration between inter-agencies, healthcare organizations, interdisciplinary teams, and HCPs with SA survivors; (3) barriers to HCP training and preparedness to respond to SA; and (4) failures to implement trauma-informed care (TIC) frameworks. Conclusions: Based on these findings, we provide recommendations for the prevention and mitigation of the SV of SA survivors by integrating philosophical frameworks to guide healthcare practice, including person-centered care, trauma- and violence-informed care (TVIC), and cultural safety. We reflect on the current gaps identified from this systematic review and the need for future research to operationalize and measure SV after SA in healthcare. Full article

The current immigration debate is frequently characterized by a negative tone in news, which can fuel public disapproval. Previous research demonstrates that news framing regarding immigration can arouse, for example, negative attitudes among the public. However, these studies often take the three protagonists of this debate (asylum seekers, refugees, immigrants) together. This study aims to fill the gap by exploring the extent to which the strength of the news framing effect on anti-immigration attitudes is assisted by the explicit categorization of these actor terms. A survey experiment with fictional news stories was conducted among Flemish citizens (n = 1591). The framing (negative, victim, positive) and the type of actors (asylum seekers, refugees, immigrants) were manipulated. The results indicate that the effect of framing on anti-immigration attitudes seems conditional on the actor term used in the news article, even though the found effect was small. Anti-immigration attitudes were highest when a negative frame was combined with the term immigrant and lowest when a positive frame was combined with the term asylum seeker. Combining the actor term with victim framing does not yield a significant effect. However, overall, framing exerted significantly stronger effects than actor terminology. The findings indicate that words in terms of framing and actor type matter in the immigration debate. Full article

Background: Although depressive symptoms are common among adolescents who experience school bullying victimization, these symptoms show heterogeneity and seriously affect individuals’ physical and mental health. Our current understanding of the latent classes of depressive symptoms and their transition characteristics over time among adolescents who persistently experience school bullying victimization remains limited. Therefore, it is necessary to use latent transition analysis to identify different depressive symptom patterns and further examine the longitudinal stability and transition trajectories of these patterns. Methods: This retrospective study included 785 adolescents who reported experiencing school bullying victimization at both time points (T1 and T2). Among them, 60.9% were boys, with a mean age of 13.92 ± 1.69 years at T1 and an age range of 11 to 19 years. Participants completed a two-wave survey over a 12-month period. Latent transition analysis (LTA) was conducted to identify latent profiles of depressive symptoms and examine transitions between profiles over time. In addition, physical activity, sleep duration, and substance use were examined as predictors of transitions between depressive symptom profiles. Results: The depressive symptom profiles of adolescents who persistently experienced school bullying victimization were classified into the Low Symptom group, Moderate Symptom group, and High Symptom group. The proportions of these groups were 58.4%, 30.9%, and 10.7% at T1, and 32.1%, 45.3%, and 22.6% at T2, respectively. Overall, the profiles showed either class stability or transitions toward more severe symptom groups, with the High Symptom group showing a 75.8% probability of remaining in the same class at T2. Physical activity, sleep duration, and substance use were all important predictors of depressive symptom transitions among adolescents who persistently experienced bullying victimization. Specifically, physical activity and sleep duration were important protective factors (p < 0.001), whereas substance use was a negative influencing factor (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Depressive symptoms among adolescents who persistently experience bullying victimization show dynamic transition characteristics, and health behaviors significantly influence symptom evolution. These findings suggest that interventions should focus on improving health behaviors to alleviate or prevent the worsening of depressive symptoms. Full article

Violence in schools is an unfortunate reality that is facing not only South Africa but all countries across the globe. The prevalence, frequency and intensity of violence are comprehensively documented, and there is enough evidence to demonstrate that school-based violence is a major problem in South African schools. What is still not clear are the effects of this violence on learners and educators. As such, the study aimed to explore the effects of school-based violence on learners and educators in South Africa. It is important to fully understand the effects of this phenomenon to devise appropriate strategies for addressing it. Based on a qualitative study conducted at nine high schools in South Africa, data were collected from 47 learners and 30 educators using focus group discussions and analysed using thematic analysis. Measures were implemented to ensure the quality of the data. The study received ethical clearance and adhered to all ethical considerations. The findings indicate that violence has detrimental effects on the victim, the perpetrator, the bystander, the educators, and the teaching and learning environment. Learners who experience bullying reported heightened levels of fear, frustration, and emotional distress, which contribute to negative perceptions of schooling and diminished academic performance. Collectively, these factors shape an overall adverse school experience. The study also found that exposure to school violence undermines educators’ self-confidence and erodes their sense of professional dignity. Furthermore, essential instructional time is lost as teachers are compelled to manage disruptive and violent behaviour, limiting opportunities for effective teaching and learning. The paper concludes that the short-term and long-term effects of school-based violence call for strategies and programmes to be put in place to address the problem of school-based violence. Full article

This study examined Saudi adolescents’ digital use, experiences of cyberbullying, and willingness to seek help when facing online risks. Furthermore, the study examined how perceived online safety, preferred reporting sources, exposure to online safety education, and demographic characteristics are associated with resistance to help-seeking. A cross-sectional online survey was completed by 302 adolescents aged 11–17 years across Saudi Arabia. Descriptive statistics, one-way ANOVAs, and hierarchical multiple regression were used to explore patterns and predictors of resistance to help-seeking. Descriptively, the results showed near-universal smartphone access, high daily screen time, and that a substantial minority had experienced recent cyberbullying, including repeated victimization. Although most participants reported feeling safe online, many expressed uncertainty and endorsed self-reliant or avoidant responses, with over half agreeing they would “just ignore” cyberbullying. Parents were the most frequently identified reporting source, yet around one-fifth of adolescents said that they would not seek help from anyone. Regression analyses indicated that female gender, higher socioeconomic status, feeling less safe online, and receiving online safety education from multiple sources were associated with lower resistance to help-seeking, whereas greater cyberbullying exposure predicted higher resistance. Overall, the results highlight the need for multi-source, culturally grounded online safety education and strengthened reporting pathways across families, schools, and digital platforms to support Saudi adolescents who experience cyberbullying and related online harms. Full article

The objective of the study was to examine longitudinal associations between cybervictimization and mental health and suicidal behavior among youth. Data for 4930 youth were drawn from the Canadian Health Survey on Children and Youth (CHSCY), a nationally representative cohort survey with collection waves in 2019 and 2023. Logistic regression models predicted self-reported mental health outcomes in 2023 (depression, anxiety, suicidal ideation and suicide attempt) from cybervictimization in 2019, adjusting for baseline mental health, socio-demographic covariates, frequency of online activities, and experience of traditional bullying victimization. Fully adjusted models suggested that cybervictimization in 2019 was significantly associated with youth depression (OR: 2.41, 95%CI: 1.68, 3.45), anxiety (OR: 1.33, 95%CI: 1.05, 1.68), and suicidal ideation (OR: 1.95, 95%CI: 1.12, 3.39) four years later. The association with suicide attempt was positive but not statistically significant in adjusted models (OR: 1.77, 95%CI: 0.99, 3.16). These results suggest that youth who experience cybervictimization in adolescence are at elevated risk of mental health problems lasting into young adulthood, an association which appears to be independent of the experience of traditional face-to-face victimization. Bullying prevention programs targeted towards reducing cybervictimization may warrant further study, with the aim of informing approaches to improve adolescent mental health. Full article

Cyberbullying victimization is a public health concern associated with adolescents’ psychological distress symptoms. This cross-sectional study examined whether relative deprivation and moral disengagement were statistically associated with the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and psychological distress symptoms among victim-only five-year higher vocational college students. Among 4290 valid respondents, 1419 students reported at least one cyberbullying victimization experience. Because the present study focused on victimization without concurrent perpetration, 1107 victim-only students were included in the primary analysis. Participants completed self-report measures of cyberbullying victimization, relative deprivation, moral disengagement, and psychological distress symptoms. After controlling for gender and age, cyberbullying victimization was positively associated with psychological distress symptoms. The bootstrap results indicated significant indirect associations through relative deprivation, through moral disengagement, and through the serial pathway from relative deprivation to moral disengagement. These findings suggest that relative deprivation and moral disengagement are statistically linked to the association between cyberbullying victimization and psychological distress symptoms among victim-only vocational students. Given the cross-sectional self-report design, the mediation findings should be interpreted as evidence of statistical associations rather than temporal ordering or causal mechanisms. Full article

This article examines how domestic violence victim-survivors in County Durham, the north-east of England, experience help-seeking across criminal justice systems (CJSs) and women’s organisations. County Durham, an area recording the highest rate of repeat domestic violence incidents in England and Wales yet among the lowest rates of protective order applications, makes the gap between national reform and victim-survivors’ experiences visible. Drawing on semi-structured interviews with thirteen women who experienced domestic violence and engaged with both statutory and community-based responses, the article employs a survivor-centred analytical framework informed by scholarship on coercive control and legal systems abuse. The analysis reveals four interconnected themes: (i) coercive control as a cumulative pattern of harm (ii) the continuation and escalation of abuse post-separation across emotional, digital, administrative, and legal systems; (iii) the reproduction of powerlessness and loss of agency through evidentiary demands, procedural disempowerment, and institutional disbelief within the CJS; and (iv) the contrasting role of women’s organisations, which restore agency. Building on these findings, the article argues that the CJS do not merely fail domestic abuse survivors; they may reproduce the conditions coercive control depends on. In this context, women’s organisations function not as supplementary services but as essential sites of interruption that restore agency. Full article

Gender-based violence (GBV) is a critical public health concern in South Africa, which ranks among the countries most severely affected worldwide. Women and girls are reported to bear the greatest burden, with men predominantly identified as perpetrators. GBV is particularly prevalent in densely populated areas such as informal settlements, where adverse socioeconomic conditions create fertile ground for its proliferation. Despite the scale of this problem, to the researchers’ knowledge, few studies, especially qualitative ones, have been conducted in such contexts, even though informal settlements are widespread across the country. To generate nuanced insights into this phenomenon, the current study explored the lived experiences of women victims of GBV in Alexandra, one of South Africa’s largest informal settlements. The study was grounded in an interpretive paradigm, employed a qualitative approach, and adopted a single-case-study design. Participants were purposively selected from a population of women victims of GBV, and the sample size was determined through data saturation. Data were collected through individual, face-to-face semi-structured interviews and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) with Nvivo version 15 software and interpreted through the lens of feminist theory. The findings revealed that GBV has profound effects on women’s emotional, psychological and social wellbeing, extending beyond the immediate incidents to also affect their overall functioning, erode self-confidence, and limit opportunities for independence. The use of intimidation and coercion tactics by perpetrators trapped victims in a cycle of dysfunction which diminished agency, and fostered isolation. Interpreting these findings through a feminist lens highlights the systematic and recurrent nature of GBV, which cuts across personal, structural and relational dimensions. The findings underscore the urgent need for context-specific interventions that will help dismantle structures of abuse while supporting victims’ and/or survivors’ autonomy, recovery and, most importantly, capacity to rebuild identity and trust. Full article

Firearm homicide is a leading cause of death among children and young men in the U.S. (ages 1–19), with young Black males in urban environments facing rates 18-to-24-fold higher than their non-Hispanic White peers in 2023. A key precursor to firearm violence victimization is weapon-carrying behavior (WCB), defined as carrying, concealing, or displaying firearms or other weapons in community or social contexts that elevate risk for injury, interpersonal threats, or law enforcement contact. Several structural, behavioral, and trauma-based risk factors fuel weapon-carrying. Yet these WCBs are rarely studied in tandem, leaving a critical gap in our understanding of these high-risk behaviors for youth. This cross-sectional study leveraged baseline data from a convenience sample of 226 violence-exposed urban young Black males, ages 15–24 (M_age = 18.3 years; SD = 3.1) enrolled in a trauma-informed digital firearm violence prevention pilot study. Eligibility required prior personal or witnessed experience of youth violence; reported prevalence therefore characterizes a high-risk subgroup rather than urban young Black males as a whole. Past-30-day weapon-carrying frequency was measured across five YRBS-aligned categories (0, 1, 2 to 3, 4 to 5, and 6+ days) and modeled as a categorical index under negative binomial regression. Associations with peer and community violence exposure, substance use, sociodemographic, and socioeconomic factors were estimated as incidence rate ratios (IRRs) with 95% CI. Past-30-day weapon carrying was reported by 42.5% of participants, with carrying frequency ranging from 1 day to 6 or more days. Participants reported high levels of direct victimization (64.8%), witnessing community violence (76.4%), and use of nonprescribed medications, including in instances preceding violence. In the fully adjusted model, indicators of violence exposure were the most consistent correlates of carrying. Direct victimization (IRR = 1.15, p < 0.05), general exposure to violence or aggression (IRR = 7.82, p < 0.01), and physical fighting (IRR = 1.11, p < 0.05) remained independently significant. Conversely, associations with substance use, dating aggression, and employment were attenuated, suggesting shared ecological vulnerability rather than independent causal pathways. Findings underscore the central role of chronic violence exposure and support the need for trauma-informed, multilevel prevention strategies in clinical and community settings. Full article

This article examines how justice institutions produce and reproduce gender-based violence against women through the invisibilization of moral violence, with particular attention to their spatial dimensions. Drawing on the concept of juridical–patriarchal habitus, the study conceptualizes justice institutions not only as sites of legal action but as spatial formations that shape the visibility, recognition, and adjudication of harm. Using a feminist ethnographic approach, the article analyzes two cases of gender-based violence documented in 2020 in the municipality of Querétaro, Mexico. The findings demonstrate how movement into legal and institutional spaces transforms lived experiences of violence, as procedural requirements, evidentiary expectations, and institutional interactions operate as spatial filters that render certain forms of harm visible while obscuring others. In this process, justice actors construct and reproduce gendered stereotypes about what counts as violence, simultaneously positioning women as victims and subjecting them to processes of revictimization. By conceptualizing the invisibility of moral violence as a spatially mediated process, the article contributes to debates in legal and feminist geography, highlighting how institutional spaces not only respond to gender-based violence but actively participate in its production and concealment. Full article