Goal Orientation and Adolescent Social Competence: Ubuntu as a Mediator Among Black American Adolescents

Social competence, which is the ability to demonstrate socio-emotional behavior skills, is crucial during adolescence with far-reaching implications across the lifespan. However, social competence development among youth is greatly influenced by social inequities, which places many Black American youth at a disadvantage due to the disproportionate burden on youth development in resource-constrained environments. Responsively, we sought to determine whether Afrocentric cultural norms (i.e., Ubuntu) and goal orientation contribute to the resilience of Black youth in developing social competence while controlling for social positions (i.e., social class and gender). For this study, we used the dataset of black boys and girls (average age of 14.68) from the Templeton Flourishing Children Project. Linear regression analysis followed by mediation analysis was conducted to identify the factors associated with higher degrees of social competence. Significant study findings indicate that Black youth reporting higher goal-oriented mindsets reported higher social competence scores. Goal orientation and social competence were mediated by Ubuntu, with the model explaining 63% variance in social competence in Black youth. The findings suggest prevention efforts that provide socialization centered around Afrocentric cultural norms may provide valuable means of bolstering social competence development in Black youth living in resource-constrained communities.

Relationship between Cyberbullying, Motivation and Learning Strategies, Academic Performance, and the Ability to Adapt to University

Cyberbullying has become a frequent relational problem among young people, which has made it necessary to evaluate and prevent it in the university setting. The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between cyberbullying, motivation and learning strategies, the ability to adapt to university, and academic performance. A sample of 1368 Spanish university students (64% female) was administered a battery consisting of the European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, the Learning and Study Strategies Inventory Short version, and the Student Adaptation to College Questionnaire, with their academic performance also being studied. The results found that the victimized bullies have greater difficulties in their organization and planning for study and exams, have fewer control and consolidation strategies, and are less able to adapt to university. Logistic regression analyses show that the greater the difficulties in organization and planning, and the greater the difficulties experienced in exams, the greater the probability of a person being a victim and a victimized bully. In addition, students are less likely to be victims, bullies, and victimized bullies as their ability to adapt to university increases. The findings have been discussed and it has been noted that there is a need to address academic adjustment and the ability to adapt to the university environment as a preventive measure for cyberbullying in university students.

Differences in prosocial and agonistic behaviours expressed by Colombian and Spanish children and youth during a game session

We investigated behavioural patterns of school subjects from Colombia and Tenerife (Spain) of 10–12, 13–14 and 15–17 years old (150 per age group), during a crossed puzzle game. We video-recorded all sessions, elaborated an ethogram and classified behavioural patterns within functional categories (Empathy, Help Organizing, Agonistic, Cooperation, Selfishness and Tension-Distension); their frequencies were analyzed by Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMM). Results showed significant differences between countries in Help Organizing, Cooperation, Agonistic and Tension-Distension; the same categories except Cooperation differed between age ranges, but no category significantly differed between sexes. GLMM of factor scores from a principal component analysis applied to behavioural categories showed subjects from Colombian schools had significantly lower PC1 factor scores (Empathy, Selfishness and Tension-Distension) than those from Tenerife; the contrary occurred for PC2 (Help Organizing and Cooperation) and no significant difference was found for PC3 (Agonistic and Selfishness). We discuss several potential causes of the differences found.

To Help or Not to Help: Intervening in Cyberbullying Among Chinese Cyber-Bystanders

Cyberbullying has become a serious concern among Internet users worldwide. However, relatively little is known about individuals who witness cyberbullying and how they behave. A bystander is someone who sees bullying or other forms of aggressive or violent behavior that targets someone else and who may choose to respond by either being part of the problem (a hurtful bystander), or part of the solution (a helpful bystander). Few studies examined the phenomena of cyber-bystanders in Chinese populations. Guided by the five-step bystander theoretical model and the theory of planned behavior, this study, addressed this gap to understand how the characteristics of cyber-bystanders explained their intervention in cyberbullying in a Chinese population. This study tested two preregistered hypotheses: (1) controlling for age and gender, awareness of cyberbullying, attitudes, subjective norm and perceived behavioral control to intervene; plus past experience with cyberbullying (measured as past experience in cyberbullying perpetration and victimization), felt responsibility, and self-efficacy to intervene with regard to cyberbullying would explain the intention of cyber-bystanders to intervene in cyberbullying, and (2) the intention of cyber-bystanders to intervene cyberbullying would positively explain their intervening behavior. A total of 581 college students with experience of witnessing cyberbullying were included in the analysis. Applying structural equation modeling with observed variables, a path analysis model was built to test the hypotheses; this study also conducted exploratory analyses by including direct paths from the characteristics of cyber-bystanders to explain intervening behavior. Results found that only awareness of cyberbullying, a subjective norm, and self-efficacy to intervene positively explained intention to intervene cyberbullying; therefore, hypothesis 1 was partly supported. Also, intention to intervene cyberbullying positively explained intervening behavior; therefore, hypothesis 2 was supported. For the exploratory analysis, intention to intervene partially mediated the relation between a subjective norm to intervene and intervening behavior; and intention to intervene also partially mediated the relation between self-efficacy to intervene and intervening behavior. In addition, past experience in cyberbullying victimization also positively and directly predicted intervening behavior. Findings provided a foundation for designing future intervention programs to mobilize cyber-bystanders to become “upstanders.”

Social status and friendship in peer victimization trajectories

Background/Objective: Most studies have evaluated victimization at a single time point, making it difficult to determine the impact of the time during which an individual is victimized. This longitudinal study aims to examine the differences in the levels of social status (social preference and perceived popularity) and friendship in peer victimization trajectories, and to analyse if there were changes over time in the levels of social status and friendship in each trajectory. Method: The final sample was composed of 1,239 students (49% girls) with ages between 9 and 18 (M = 12.23, SD = 1.73), from 22 schools in southern Spain. Peer nominations were collected. Results: The General Linear Model results associated the highest levels of social preference, perceived popularity and friendship with the sporadic victimization profile and the lowest levels of these dimensions with the stable profile. Conclusions:The results are discussed based on important personal aspects of stable victimization that confirms social rejection, unpopularity, and the low social support that victimization causes. This contribution is discussed in terms of health and social welfare in adolescence.

Psychological Well-Being in a Connected World: The Impact of Cybervictimization in Children's and Young People's Life in France

The Internet is at the heart of our children’s and adolescents’ way of life. Although it opens up many positive perspectives in terms of access to information, knowledge, and communication, it also presents risks and potential negative experiences that can have severe consequences at the individual level. In this paper, we are interested in studying the link between cybervictimization, psychological well-being, and social competence. More specifically, we want to study how children and adolescents’ anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and deviant behaviors may be related to cybervictimization. We collected data from 1019 children and young people in France aged 9–17 in the context of the EU Kids online survey. Sampling was performed building a random-probability nationally representative sample of households with children using the Internet. Participants completed a questionnaire online by computer-assisted self-interviewing (CASI). Structural equation model reveals that (1) cybervictimization is related to lower well-being, such as anxiety and low self-esteem, as well as lower social competence, such as impulsivity and deviant behaviors, and that (2) all dimensions of (non)well-being and social (in)competence are related to each other. Findings are discussed in the light of Agnew general strain theory and previous research findings on the consequences of cybervictimization.

The Effect of Shyness on Adolescent Network Problem Behavior: The Role of Gender and Loneliness

With the latest, rapid developments of the Internet, young people have become the main group in the online world. Congruently, Internet problem behaviors have shown a significant growth trend among adolescents. The present paper explores the factors affecting adolescents' problem network behavior from the perspective of their shyness, gender, and loneliness, and provides suggestions for guiding these young people toward using the network rationally. The study surveyed 5,130 teenagers from Shandong province in China to investigate the moderating effect of gender on the relationship between shyness and problem network behavior, and the mediating effect of loneliness on the moderating effect. The results indicated that the level of shyness among girls was significantly higher than that among boys, whereas the prevalence of cyberbullying, pathological Internet use, and Internet gaming disorder was significantly lower for girls than for boys. The relationship among shyness, cyberbullying, and Internet gaming disorder was found to be moderated by gender, and the problems of cyberbullying and Internet gaming disorder faced by shy boys were greater than those faced by shy girls. In addition, the moderating effect of gender on cyberbullying and Internet gaming disorder was found to occur through the mediating factor of loneliness. The paper concludes with a discussion of the theoretical significance and generalizability of our research results.

Cyberbullying and cybervictimization: Does gender matter?

The purpose of the present study was to evaluate gender effects on college students' judgements about a hypothetical episode of cyberbullying on Facebook that resulted in the suicide of a cybervictim. A total of 176 undergraduate students at a midsize public university in the Northeast served as participants. Four one-page versions of a hypothetical trial transcript detailing a cyberbullying case were utilized. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: male cyberbully/male cybervictim, male cyberbully/female cybervictim, female cyberbully/male cybervictim, and female cyberbully/female cybervictim. After reading one of the trial transcripts, participants rated eight variables, including criminal guilt and intent of the cyberbully, responsibility of entities involved, and appropriate punishment for the cyberbully. Results revealed significant differences in judgments based on the gender of the cyberbully, cybervictim, and participant.

Friendship Quality and Gender Differences in Association With Cyberbullying Involvement and Psychological Well-Being

Current literature has documented the detrimental effects of cyberbullying which include a range of internalizing and externalizing problems for those involved. Although critical, this research can sometimes ignore social-ecological aspects of a child's life that can potentially 'buffer' the negative psychological effects of such involvement. With this in mind, this cross-sectional investigation of 12-16 year olds [M(SD): 13.5(1) years] in Ireland focused on the role of friendship quality and gender in association with cyberbullying involvement and psychological well-being (N = 2410). The Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Scale was used to measure cyber perpetration and victimization. A modified version of the Cambridge Friendship Questionnaire was included to investigate peer friendship quality. Finally, the Moods and Feeling Questionnaire and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were chosen to provide a measurement of psychological well-being. Prevalence rates for various types of cyberbullying roles (cyber bullies, victims and bully/victims) are presented, as well as differences for psychological well-being, friendship quality and cyberbullying involvement. In addition, regression models were used to determine the associations between gender, age, friendship quality and involvement in cyberbullying with psychological well-being. The results are considered in terms of the current literature and directions for future research are suggested.

How Much Do Adolescents Cybergossip? Scale Development and Validation in Spain and Colombia

Cybergossip is the act of two or more people making evaluative comments via digital devices about somebody who is not present. This cyberbehavior affects the social group in which it occurs and can either promote or hinder peer relationships. Scientific studies that assess the nature of this emerging and interactive behavior in the virtual world are limited. Some research on traditional gossip has identified it as an inherent and defining element of indirect relational aggression. This paper adopts and argues for a wider definition of gossip that includes positive comments and motivations. This work also suggests that cybergossip has to be measured independently from traditional gossip due to key differences when it occurs through ICT. This paper presents the Colombian and Spanish validation of the Cybergossip Questionnaire for Adolescents (CGQ-A), involving 3,747 high school students (M = 13.98 years old, SD = 1.69; 48.5% male), of which 1,931 were Colombian and 1,816 were Spanish. Test models derived from item response theory, confirmatory factor analysis, content validation, and multi-group analysis were run on the full sample and subsamples for each country and both genders. The obtained optimal fit and psychometric properties confirm the robustness and suitability of a one-dimensional structure for the cybergossip instrument. The multi-group analysis shows that the cybergossip construct is understood similarly in both countries and between girls and boys. The composite reliability ratifies convergent and divergent validity of the scale. Descriptive results show that Colombian adolescents gossip less than their Spanish counterparts and that boys and girls use cybergossip to the same extent. As a conclusion, this study confirmes the relationship between cybergossip and cyberbullying, but it also supports a focus on positive cybergossip in psychoeducational interventions to build positive virtual relationships and prevent risky cyberbehaviors.

Validation of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire for Colombian Adolescents

Cyberbullying is the act of using unjustified aggression to harm or harass via digital devices. Currently regarded as a widespread problem, the phenomenon has attracted growing research interest in different measures of cyberbullying and the similarities and differences across countries and cultures. This article presents the Colombian validation of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ) involving 3,830 high school students (M = 13.9 years old, standard deviation = 1.61; 48.9 percent male), of which 1,931 were Colombian and 1,899 Spanish. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), content validation, and multigroup analysis were performed with each of the sample subgroups. The optimal fits and psychometric properties obtained confirm the robustness and suitability of the assessment instrument to jointly measure cyber-aggression and cyber-victimization. The results corroborated the theoretical construct and the two-dimensional and universal nature of cyberbullying. The multigroup analysis showed that cyberbullying dynamics are similar in both countries. The comparative analyses of prevalence revealed that Colombian students are less involved in cyberbullying. The results indicate the suitability of the instrument and the advantages of using such a tool to evaluate and guide psychoeducational interventions aimed at preventing cyberbullying in countries where few studies have been performed.