Joint association of bullying and cyberbullying in health-related quality of life in a sample of adolescents

Relationship between bullying with depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life among Brazilian high school students from Southern Brazil

The aim is to analyze the associations of bullying victimization and perpetration with depressive symptoms and health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in a sample of Brazilian high school adolescents. Adolescents (n=852, 50.2% female, mean age: 16.4 years) answered a questionnaire about depressive symptoms drawn from the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale. HRQoL was measured using the Kidscreen-10 Index, and bullying-related information was extracted from two different questions (victims and perpetrators). Multilevel logistic regression models were used. Adolescent victims of bullying had higher levels of depressive symptoms and a lower perception of HRQoL than those who were not victims. On the other hand, an inverse relationship was found for perpetrators of bullying compared to those who were not perpetrators. Adolescents' health-related impacts varied according to their role in bullying situations.

Psychosocial Factors and Quality of Life of Portuguese Adolescents With Chronic Conditions - Increased Risk for Victims of Bullying

The experience of living with a chronic condition (CC) impacts adolescents' psychological and social adjustment and overall functioning. Considering the increased risk of psychosocial challenges among adolescents with CC, this study aimed to enhance our understanding of the psychological and social factors that impact their quality of life. It also compared the psychological and social variables among (a) adolescents with and without CC and (b) adolescents with CC who are and who are not victims of bullying. The results demonstrated that adolescents with CC showed more psychosocial difficulties than their peers, as they more frequently reported involvement in situations of violence, and demonstrated more difficulties at a psychological and emotional level. Further, being victims of bullying increased the psychosocial vulnerabilities of these adolescents. A better quality of life was associated with the following psychosocial factors: not being a victim of bullying or cyberbullying, having less anxiety and fewer depressive symptoms, liking school, receiving more support from family and friends, having better relationships with peers, and having fewer physical and psychological symptoms. These findings are significant for helping schools develop tools and strategies to address violence and support students with CC, who are at a higher risk of being involved in such situations and require a targeted response.

The Family Context in Cybervictimization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The use of Information and Communication Technologies is clearly widespread among adolescents from a young age. Although it poses a significant contribution at the academic, social, and emotional levels, it can also involve a set of important risks, including cyberbullying and, therefore, cybervictimization. Previous studies have pointed out the importance of family context since parental control and family communication emerge as contributors to this phenomenon. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to analyze the influence of family communication on cybervictims and the moderating role of different sociodemographic variables (age, gender, nationality, and culture), as well as social, emotional, and personality variables. In this context, a meta-analysis was performed with a random effects model, using a total meta-sample of 29,093 adolescents (mean age: 14.50 years) distributed in k = 20 samples belonging to nine studies on cybervictimization published in English in Q1 journals between 2015 and 2020. The results showed that family offensive communication is related to cybervictimization. This could be because the affected individuals often use social media to compensate for the deficiencies they perceive within their families, as well as to obtain support, which increases their time spent on the Internet and their exposure to this phenomenon. These findings highlight the need for family and community interventions, not only school-based or individual interventions.

Psychosocial and environmental risk factors of obesity and hypertension in children and adolescents-a literature overview

Childhood obesity has become a worldwide epidemic in the 21st century. Its treatment is challenging and often ineffective, among others due to complex, often not obvious causes. Awareness of the existence and meaning of psychosocial and environmental risk factors seems to be an essential element in the prevention and treatment of obesity and its complications, especially arterial hypertension. In this review, we will discuss the role of that risk factors linking obesity and increased cardiovascular disorders including the role of nutritional factors (including the role of unhealthy diet, inadequate hydration), unhealthy behaviors (e.g. smoking, alcohol and drugs, sedentary behavior, low physical activity, disrupted circadian rhythms, sleep disorders, screen exposure), unfavorable social factors (such as dysfunctional family, bullying, chronic stress, mood disorders, depression, urbanization, noise, and environmental pollution), and finally differences in cardiovascular risk in girls and boys.

Intercultural Differences between Spain and Italy Regarding School Bullying, Gender, and Age

The objectives of this research were to establish the differences between Spain and Italy regarding the presence of bullying in primary and secondary schools, as well as to determine whether there are differences between experiencing or perpetrating bullying and gender and age in the practice of school bullying. To assess the EBIPQ scores in terms of country and gender, the chi-squared test was used, and ANOVA was applied for age. A total of 1536 students from primary and secondary schools in Spain and Italy participated in the study. Their ages ranged from 10 to 19 years (mean = 13.01, standard deviation = 2.19). The results revealed statistically significant differences in terms of bullying categories concerning the country of origin and gender, with a higher number of Italian participants in the role of "no victim aggress" and Spanish participants in the roles of "victim" and "victim and aggress". Additionally, there were more boys in the role of "victim and aggress" and girls in the role of "no victim aggress". Regarding age, statistically significant differences were found, with older students taking on the role of "aggress" on average, while younger students assumed the role of "victim".

The Impact of the Magnitude of the Group of Bullies on Health-Related Quality of Life and Academic Performance Among Adolescents

This study examines the consequences that physical and verbal/social victimization by peers and the magnitude of the groups of bullies have on academic performance and the psychological and social domains of Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL). 1428 secondary school students in the south-east Spain completed the Spanish version of the "Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument-Bullying" and "KIDSCREEN-52" questionnaires in order to analyse, respectively, peer victimization and the psychological and social domains of HRQoL. Data on sociodemographic characteristics and academic achievement was also collected. Findings emphasise the potential of peer victimization in all its forms as risk factors explaining poor HRQoL in psychological, social and emotional domains. The number of bullies was an imponent and significant risk factor that explains a worse HRQoL in the five socio-psychological dimensions studied (Odds Ratio 4.08, Odds Ratio 9.25, Odds Ratio 4.69, Odds Ratio 2.91, Odds Ratio 11.92). Nevertheless, peer victimization rarely seems to affect academic achievement. Results suggest that much of prevention and intervention are still needed to reduce peer victimization, focusing on large bullies' groups and their harmful impact on adolescent's HRQoL.

Nursing Interventions against Bullying: A Systematic Review

(1) Background: Bullying is a worldwide public health problem, with short- and long-term physical, mental, and socio-economic implications for all involved, including consequences as serious as suicide. (2) Objective: The aim of this study is to compile data on nursing interventions for preventing and addressing bullying at the international level. (3) Methods: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with the guidelines laid out in the PRISMA statement. The search included papers written in Spanish, English, and Portuguese over the previous five years from the following databases: Web of Science, CUIDEN, CINHAL, BDENF, Cochrane, Lilacs, and PubMed. The following descriptors were used: "Acoso escolar AND Enfermería", "Bullying AND Nursing" and "Intimidação AND Enferma-gem". Due to the heterogeneity in the methodology of the studies, a narrative synthesis of the results is provided. (4) The synthesis of results shows nurses' involvement in tackling and preventing bullying. Interventions are categorised into awareness raising; coping mechanisms; and approach/care, nursing skills in the face of bullying, and the role of the family in the face of bullying. (5) Conclusions: It is clear that at the international level, nursing is involved in planning and developing autonomous and interdisciplinary interventions to address and prevent bullying. The evidence paves the way for school nurses and family and community nurses to take steps to tackle this phenomenon.

Epidemiology of peer cybervictimization and its relationship with health‐related quality of life in adolescents: A prospective study

INTRODUCTION

Research focused on the association between peer cybervictimization and declining health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is scarce. Currently, few longitudinal studies find an association between these phenomena, and none focus on cybervictimization profiles. The main objectives are: (1) to analyze the point and period prevalence, and incidence of cybervictimization profiles (uninvolved, new, ceased, intermittent, and stable cybervictims); (2) to study the relationship between cybervictimization and HRQoL over time; (3) to determine the longitudinal impact on the HRQoL of each type of profile.

METHODS

A prospective study was conducted in three waves over 13 months. A total of 1142 adolescents aged 11-18 years participated in all the waves (630 girls, 55.2%).

RESULTS

The prevalence of victimization for the three waves was 21.6% (Wave 1; W1), 23.5% (W2), and 19.6% (W3), respectively. The period prevalence was 41.3%, and the accumulated incidence was 25.1%. It was found that 24% of the participants were new victims, 5.9% were intermittent victims, and 6% were stable victims. Being a cybervictim at W1 poses a relative risk of 1.73 [1.29-2.32], that is, a twofold increased risk of presenting a low HRQoL 13 months later compared to those who are not cybervictims.

CONCLUSION

One in four adolescents became a new cybervictim during the 13 months of the study. The adolescents who presented poorer HRQoL were the stable cybervictims.

The impact of resilience as a protective factor on Health-Related Quality of Life's psychological dimensions among adolescents who experience peer victimization

Peer victimization have a negative impact on Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) during adolescence, however some personal skills such a person's resilience could play a significant role in this relationship. In this context, this study aims to analyse if resilience is a moderator of the relation between peer victimization and HRQoL's psychological dimensions. Sociodemographic data, peer victimization, psychological domains of HRQoL and resilience were measures in a sample of 1428 secondary school students using the following scales: "Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument-Bullying", "KIDSCREEN-52" and "Brief Resilient Coping Scale. Different multivariate analyses were carried out using linear regression. PROCESS tool was used to examine the moderating role of resilience, with John-Neyman post-hoc approach to quantify moderation. Results suggest that resilience could moderate the association between physical (β =  - 0.0021; p = 0.025) and verbal victimization (β =  - 0.0018; p = 0.024) and the "Mood and Emotions" dimension of adolescents' HRQoL. Nevertheless, this regulating influence appears to be faint (∆R2 0.004). Resilience showed no moderating effect between social victimization and psychological dimensions of HRQoL. We concluded that resilience could function as a protective factor that weakly regulates the negative association between physical and verbal victimization and the psychological sphere of adolescents' HRQoL.

Bullying in Adolescents: Differences between Gender and School Year and Relationship with Academic Performance

School bullying is a phenomenon of unjustified aggression in the school environment that is widespread throughout the world and with serious consequences for both the bully and the bullied. The objectives of this research were to analyze the differences between the different bullying categories by gender and academic year in primary and secondary education students, as well as their relationship with academic performance. To categorize students according to their bullying experiences, the European Bullying Intervention Project (EBIPQ) Questionnaire was used. The Chi-square test was used to compare the scores obtained by the students in the EBIPQ based on gender and academic year, and the one-way ANOVA test was used to analyze its relationship with academic performance. Research participants were 562 students from the 5th (n = 228) and 6th (n = 186) primary school years and the 1st (n = 134) and 2nd (n = 94) secondary school years. They were males (50.5%) and females (49.5%) ranging in ages from 10 to 15 years old (mean = 11.66, standard deviation = 1.206). The results showed statistically significant differences in gender and academic year, indicating a greater number of boys in the role of the bully/victim and girls in that of non-bully/non-victim. The most aggressive students were in the 2nd year of ESO (12–13 years old). Regarding academic performance, statistically significant differences were obtained that confirm the hypothesis that performance or average grade varies according to the category of bullying in which students find themselves. The academic performance of the non-bully/non-victim and those in the victim category was found to be higher than that of bullies and bully/victim students.

Bullying and Health Related Quality of Life among Adolescents-A Systematic Review

Health-related quality of life is among global health goals not only in adulthood but also in childhood and adolescence. Being a multi-component construct, health-related quality of life covers various domains, such as physical and psychological wellbeing and social and environmental areas. Bullying might significantly influence those domains especially in adolescence, a period of life when numerous personal and interpersonal transformations are experienced. Therefore, the aim of the current systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of the relationship of bullying with the health-related quality of adolescents' lives. An electronic literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library, and 3621 full-text articles were identified. After a selection process, 12 studies covering diagnosis, prevention and treatment for each of the three sections "adolescents", "health related quality of life" and "bullying" were reviewed. An overall reduction in health-related quality of life in regard to bullying appeared from the studies analyzed, as well as a decline in adolescent mental health. Different bullying types were identified as causing harm to various adolescents' health-related quality of life domains. These findings may contribute to effective bullying management in schools and/or societal settings, and inform intervention strategies for maintaining the quality of life of adolescents being bullied.

The Relationship between Personal Variables and Perceived Appropriateness of Coping Strategies against Cybervictimisation among Pre-Service Teachers

Cyberbullying behaviours begin at primary school, so the actions taken by pre-teachers will play a key role in achieving the goals in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More specifically, active coping strategies are essential in reducing victimisation. The aim of this study was to identify the coping strategies considered effective by pre-service teachers and to analyse the perceived appropriateness of active and passive strategies in relation to personal variables. The participants were 1122 students on the Bachelor’s Degree in Education at the University of Castile-La Mancha in Spain. The study measured the perceived appropriateness of five active coping strategies and four passive coping strategies, moral disengagement, experiences of bullying and cyberbullying, emotions in response to bullying and gender stereotypes. The results show that more than 25% of pre-service teachers are not prepared to manage cyberbullying effectively. Prior experiences of victimisation, personal masculinity in men and moral emotions in women are related to active strategies, while moral disengagement, and pleasant emotions in women, are related to passive strategies. Universities must implement initiatives to ensure that pre-service teachers receive training on effective coping strategies and reflect on the personal factors influencing their decisions.

An Exploratory Analysis of Different Problematic Internet Use Profiles in Cybervictims, Cyberbullies, and Cyberbully Victims

The Internet has brought about a paradigm shift in the lives of many people, especially adolescents. While it has opened great possibilities, it has also led to various risks such as cyberbullying and problematic Internet use (PIU). These two constructs have been extensively researched individually and jointly, but the existence of different profiles of problematic use according to the role a person assumes in the context of cyberbullying has not yet been explored. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to analyze the different PIU profiles of those who have been cybervictims, cyberbullies, and cyberbully victims. An analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 25,341 adolescents between 10 and 18 years of age (14.60 ± 1.68). The Cyberbullying Triangulation Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Spanish version of the Generalized and Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS2) were used. The results indicate that cybervictims (6.4 percent), cyberbullies (4.3 percent), and cyberbully victims (2.7 percent) have different profiles of PIU (p < 0.001). Two common profiles emerge from the three roles: one of nonproblematic use and the other of severe problematic use. Participants who presented severe problematic use are the ones who obtained higher scores in cybervictimization and cyberaggression, particularly in the case of cyberbully victims. Furthermore, this profile is 7.6 (IC99 percent:6.11-9.44) times more likely to present PIU than noninvolved adolescents. These results are relevant when planning cyberbullying-focused interventions and programs because of the association between cyberbullying and general PIU.

Cybervictimization, Self-Concept, Aggressiveness, and School Anxiety in School Children: A Structural Equations Analysis

The rapid increase in cases of cybervictimization amongst children has led researchers to examine the psychoemotional factors related to cyberbullying behavior, in an attempt to prevent and minimize its impact. The objective of this study was to establish and contrast the fit of an explanatory model on cybervictimization based on its relationship with self-concept, aggressiveness, and school anxiety using a structural equations analysis. A total of 542 Spanish students aged 10-12 (M age = 10.97; SD = 0.74) completed a battery of questionnaires. An adjusted structural equations model was obtained (χ² = 512.23; df = 99; p < 0.001; CFI = 0.928; NFI = 0.91; IFI = 0.928; RMSEA = 0.078). A direct and negative relationship was obtained between cybervictimization and self-concept and between cybervictimization and school anxiety. In addition, a direct and positive relationship was found between aggressiveness and self-concept and between aggressiveness and school anxiety. Indirect relationships were not found between the variables. The study's findings demonstrate that the variables of self-concept and school anxiety are directly related to cybervictimization and that the improved psychoemotional adjustment of the youngest students may help to prevent the risk of being victimized over the Internet.

Cyberbullying among Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of the CYB-AGS Cyber-Aggressor Scale

The present study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the revised version of the Adolescent Cyber-Aggressor scale (CYB-AGS). This scale is composed of 18 items that measure direct and indirect cyberbullying. A cross-sectional study was conducted using two independent samples of adolescents. The first sample included 1318 adolescents (52.6% girls) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 13.89, SD = 1.32). The second sample included 1188 adolescents (48.5% boys) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 14.19, SD = 1.80). First, to study the psychometric properties of the CYB-AGS, exploratory factor analysis was performed on Sample 1. Results indicated a two-factor structure: direct cyber-aggression and indirect cyber-aggression. Second, to verify the structure of the CYB-AGS, we selected Sample 2 to conduct confirmatory factor analysis and test the scale’s convergent validity with theoretically-related measures. Results confirmed the reliability and validity of the two-dimensional model. Moreover, measurement invariance was established. Finally, regarding convergent validity, positive correlations were obtained between cyberbullying and aggressive behaviors in school, anger expression, negative attitudes towards school, and transgression of norms. Furthermore, negative correlations were found between cyberbullying and attitudes towards institutional authority.

Cyberaggression in Adolescents of Bolivia: Connection with Psychopathological Symptoms, Adaptive and Predictor Variables

Concern about the increase of cyberbullying underlies this study, which had four objectives: (1) to calculate the prevalence of cyberaggressors; (2) to compare non-cyberaggressors with cyberaggressors in other bullying/cyberbullying roles, in psychopathological symptoms, and in self-image of masculinity/femininity, happiness, and empathy; (3) to analyze whether cyberaggressors consulted with a psychologist more than non-cyberaggressors; and (4) to identify predictor variables of cyberaggression. Participants were 1558 Bolivian students aged 13 to 17 years. Seven evaluation instruments were administered, using a descriptive, comparative, cross-sectional methodology. Results: (1) 32.7% of cyberaggressors (27.4% occasional, 5.3% severe) were found, with a higher percentage of males; (2) compared to non-cyberaggressors, cyberaggressors engaged in more face-to-face bullying behaviors, suffered more face-to-face victimization and cybervictimization, had more psychopathological symptoms (depression, somatization, obsession-compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, hostility, paranoid ideation, psychoticism), higher overall level of psychopathology, had requested psychological assistance in a greater proportion, self-defined with many attributes associated with masculinity, and felt less happiness and less empathy; and (3) being or having been a cybervictim, being or having been an aggressor of face-to-face bullying, low empathetic joy, and a self-image based on attributes associated with masculinity were predictors of cyberaggression. The need for therapeutic intervention with all those involved and the importance of prevention in the school context are discussed.

Relations among Poly-Bullying Victimization, Subjective Well-Being and Resilience in a Sample of Late Adolescents

The present study examined the relations among poly-bullying victimization (experiencing multiple forms of peer bullying), resilience and subjective well-being. This study specifically examined late adolescents’ resilience as a moderator of the relation between poly-bullying victimization and subjective well-being. In a region of central Spain, 1430 undergraduate students (64% females, 36% males), aged between 18 and 22 years, completed three self-reported measures, including bullying victimization experiences, self-reported subjective well-being and resilience. A substantial proportion of the participants (16.9%) reported being victims of poly-bullying. The results showed that the poly-bullying victimization group reported the poorest subjective well-being and the lowest resilience levels. The regression analyses revealed that resilience was significantly and positively associated with subjective well-being, and resilience moderated the association between poly-bullying victimization and subjective well-being. However, the relation was very weak and accounted for only an additional 1% of variance in the participants’ subjective well-being. Future research should assess resilience trajectories of youth exposed to multiple forms of bullying victimization in order to better understand the potential protective effect of resilience over negative mental health outcomes.