Exploring Multivariate Profiles of Psychological Distress and Empathy in Early Adolescent Victims, Bullies, and Bystanders Involved in Cyberbullying Episodes

Cyberbullying roles and psychosocial dynamics: a latent profile analysis of loneliness, resilience, and self-regulation in adolescents

Participation in cyberbullying roles is associated with distinct psychosocial profiles and may contribute to adverse mental health outcomes. Despite its importance, research has yet to fully explore the latent profiles associated with cyberbullying roles and their interplay with psychosocial factors among adolescents. This study explores the roles of cyberbullies, cyber victims, and cyber bystanders among adolescents, using latent profile analysis (LPA) to uncover the connections between these roles and psychosocial variables, including loneliness, resilience, and self-regulation. The study involved 394 adolescents, including 246 women and 148 men, with an average age of 15.8 years (SD = 1.04). The LPA revealed three profiles: low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk groups. The low-risk group (%64.1), characterized by minimal involvement in cyberbullying roles, had the highest levels of resilience and self-regulation and the lowest levels of loneliness. In contrast, those in the moderate-risk group (%27.8) showed moderate involvement in all cyberbullying roles, the highest levels of loneliness, and the lowest levels of resilience and self-regulation. The high-risk group (%8.2) demonstrated significant engagement across all cyberbullying roles and moderate levels of loneliness, resilience, and self-regulation. These findings underscore the protective role of resilience and self-regulation against cyberbullying, with loneliness as a potential risk factor, particularly for the moderate-risk group. In addition to highlighting the need for interventions that enhance resilience and self-regulation to prevent cyberbullying, the present study suggests that further research into the role of loneliness in cyberbullying profiles could provide valuable insights, inspiring future studies and furthering our understanding of this multifaceted issue.

Exploring the relationships among online social capital, Internet self-efficacy, mental health, and cyberbully-victim roles in adolescents: a structural equation model

The prevalence and effects of cyberbullying are well-established, while there is sparse evidence addressing the experiences of those in vocational schools. Social capital and self-efficacy have attracted significant public and scholarly interest, but research on these factors in cyberspace remains limited in scope. This study aims to comprehensively investigate the pathways through which online social capital and Internet self-efficacy mediate the development of mental health consequences among adolescent cyberbullying victims. A total of 1,716 students in Grades 8-12 from public and vocational schools in China participated in the study. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to specify the relationships between online social capital, Internet self-efficacy, cyberbullying, and mental health problems. Results showed that 12.12% of students reported themselves as cyber bully-victims. Internet self-efficacy could potentially mediate the effects of cyberbullying victimization and mental health problems in both school settings. Online social capital and Internet self-efficacy play mediating roles in the relationship between cyberbullying and mental health problems in public school samples. No significant effect of online social capital was found in the vocational school sample. The findings provide insights for proactive intervention in developing adequate online social capital and Internet self-efficacy training for cyberbullying prevention. Discussions on differentiated interventions for vocational school students are also presented to inspire future research and practice.

Prevalence and associated factors of school bullying among adolescents in Inner Mongolia, China

Background

Although studies in China have found that school bullying is prevalent among adolescents, most relevant research has focused on southern China, while research in northern China is limited. This study aimed to explore ethnic disparities in the socio-demographic determinants of school bullying in Inner Mongolia, a northern region of China.

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted among 2891 adolescents in Inner Mongolia, China, from September to December 2022. Data on participants' sociodemographic characteristics and school bullying experiences were collected through questionnaires. Multivariate logistic regression analyses, stratified by ethnicity, were employed to examine factors associated with school bullying. Furthermore, subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to explore potential effect modifiers of the relationship between ethnicity and bullying.

Results

The prevalence of school bullying was 18.99 % (549/2891) overall, with 17.96 % (420/2339) among Han and 23.37 % (129/552) among ethnic minorities. Minority adolescents faced a higher risk of bullying compared to Han (OR = 1.35, 95 % CI: 1.08-1.69, P < 0.05). Middle school students were more vulnerable to bullying than high school students (OR = 1.25, 95%CI:1.03-1.52, P < 0.05). Among Han adolescents, having a mother with high school education was protective against bullying (OR = 0.71, 95 % CI: 0.54-0.93, P < 0.05), while it was an associated factor for minorities (OR = 2.06, 95%CI:1.23-3.46, P < 0.05). Good family economic status was an associated factor for bullying among Han (OR = 1.62, 95%CI: 1.11-2.36, P < 0.05), but not among minorities. Belonging to other family structures (remarriage/foster family, intergenerational families, live with relatives and elders) was an associated factor for minorities (OR = 2.60, 95 % CI: 1.37-4.92, P < 0.05), but not for Han. Subgroup analyses revealed significant ethnic disparities in bullying experiences among middle school students, those from nuclear family, other family, and fair economic backgrounds (all P < 0.05). Interaction effects between ethnicity and these variables were not significant (all P > 0.05).

Limitations

This cross-sectional study has limitations in establishing causal relationships between identified associated factors and school bullying.

Conclusions

Ethnic minority adolescents in Inner Mongolia, China, especially middle school students, face a higher risk of school bullying than their Han peers. The differential impact of maternal education, family economic status, and family structure on bullying risk between Han and minority adolescents underscores the need for culturally sensitive, targeted interventions that consider the unique challenges faced by ethnic minority students.

Recognizing the Frequency of Exposure to Cyberbullying in Children: The Results of the National HBSC Study in Serbia

Nowadays, children are able to enrich their reality via the Internet. Unfortunately, this may increase their risk of becoming victims of cyberbullying. We analyzed the health characteristics and risk behavior of two cohorts of children in Serbia; those who reported being exposed to cyberbullying and those who did not. The statistical differences and logistic regression models were applied to the data on 3267 students collected from 64 schools participating in the 2017 Serbian Study on health behavior in school-age children (HBSC). Children exposed to cyberbullying reported having the following health problems on a daily basis: headache (18.5%), back pain (19.5%), depression (21.6%), irritability or bad mood (17.7%), nervousness (16.0%), sleep problems (16.1%), and dizziness (21.2%). As for the different types of risk behavior, cigarette smoking ranging from six to nine days ever was the most prevalent (26.9%). It was followed closely by getting drunk more than 10 times ever (24.1%). Compared to non-victims, victims were found to be at a higher risk of perceived back pain (OR = 2.27), depression (OR = 1.43), irritability or bad mood (OR = 2.07), nervousness (OR = 2.23), and dizziness (OR = 2.43) as well as being injured once or twice (OR = 1.98) or three or more times (OR = 4.09). Victims were associated with further risk factors: having smoked more than five cigarettes ever in life (OR = 1.73) and having gotten drunk two to three times (OR = 1.71) or four or more times (OR = 1.65). As the number of school-age children using social media continues to rise, we must prioritize educating them about self-help and community resources for addressing related health issues with greater speed and intensity. The findings from Serbia suggest that while children may be aware of their health issues, they may be unaware of their link to cyberbullying, which could hinder their ability to address these issues promptly. The respondents' attention to the health implications of cyberbullying could be increased by reformulating the survey questions used in the HBSC study.

Involvement in cyberbullying events and empathy are related to emotional responses to simulated social pain tasks

Introduction

This study aims to explore the relationship between cyberbullying involvement either as a perpetrator or a victim and emotional responses to virtual social exclusion and inclusion. Previous research has predominantly focused on the impacts of in-person bullying. Our study shifts this focus to the cyber realm.

Methods

A total of 156 adolescents living in northern Italy were recruited (Mage: 12.26; SD = 0.87; 43% female). After completing measures of empathy and involvement in cyberbullying, adolescents participated in the cyberball tasks. Latent profile analysis was used to identify subgroups.

Results

We found three groups: Class 3, reporting negative responses to the social exclusion tasks and positive responses to the social inclusion tasks; Class 1, reporting neutral emotional responses to social inclusion and negative emotional responses to social exclusion; and Class 2, showing neutral responses to 'social exclusion' tasks and strongly positive responses to 'social inclusion' tasks. Linear regression revealed that cyberbullies report a typical emotional response to exclusion and inclusion tasks (Class 3), whereas cybervictims are more likely to report negative responses to both exclusion and inclusion events (Class 1). High levels of empathy are associated with the manifestation of a typical emotional response (Class 3), in contrast to an impaired emotional response characterized by neutral or positive responses to conditions of 'social exclusion' and positive responses to conditions of 'social inclusion' (Class 2).

Conclusion

Results underscore the complex interplay between cyberbullying roles and emotional responses to virtual social experiences. Theoretical implications and limitations of the research are discussed.

The developmental process of suicidal ideation among adolescents: social and psychological impact from a nation-wide survey

Suicidal ideation is a multifactorial phenomenon that is increasingly prevalent among adolescents, especially following the impact of Covid 19 pandemic on their mental health. Its analysis necessitates an interdisciplinary approach that simultaneously considers sociological and psychological perspectives, especially looking at the role of interpersonal relationships and structural inequalities. The present study, based on a face-to-face survey conducted with a representative sample of 4288 adolescents, aims to identify the factors that most differentiate individuals with and without suicidal ideation, proposing a descriptive model of development process of this phenomenon with reference to the Italian context. We analysed variables related to socio-demographic status, relational status, social interactions, and psychological well-being using multiple correspondence analysis and logistic regression models. The results provide evidence for the existence of a direct association between negative psychological status and suicidal ideation but clarify that the psychological aspects are associated with sociodemographic characteristics and have their origins in the social sphere.

The Role of Empathy in Alcohol Use of Bullying Perpetrators and Victims: Lower Personal Empathic Distress Makes Male Perpetrators of Bullying More Vulnerable to Alcohol Use

Bullying often results in negative coping in victims, including an increased consumption of alcohol. Recently, however, an increase in alcohol use has also been reported among perpetrators of bullying. The factors triggering this pattern are still unclear. We investigated the role of empathy in the interaction between bullying and alcohol use in an adolescent sample (IMAGEN) at age 13.97 (±0.53) years (baseline (BL), N = 2165, 50.9% female) and age 16.51 (±0.61) years (follow-up 1 (FU1), N = 1185, 54.9% female). General empathic distress served as a significant moderator of alcohol use in perpetrators (F9, 493 = 17.978, p < 0.01), which was specific for males and FU1. Male perpetrators, who are generally less sensitive to distress, might thus be more vulnerable to alcohol abuse.

Assessing Cyberbullying in Adolescence: New Evidence for the Spanish Version of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIP-Q)

The prevention of cyberbullying at school requires assessing its prevalence by means of brief measurement instruments with adequate psychometric properties. The present study aims to study the psychometric properties of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIP-Q) in a sample of 1777 Spanish adolescents (54.1% women, M = 15.71 years; SD = 1.26), selected by stratified random cluster sampling. The two-factor model (victimization and aggression) displayed appropriate goodness of-fit indices. Configural measurement invariance model across gender was found. The omega reliability coefficient for the victimization subscale was 0.82, and for the aggression subscale was 0.68. The ECIP-Q scores were negatively associated with self-esteem and prosocial behavior, and positively associated with depression symptoms and emotional and behavioral difficulties. Significant differences were found between victim and non-victim groups, and between aggressor and non-aggressor groups on the same variables. Victims and aggressors scored lower on self-esteem, and higher on depression symptoms and emotional and behavioral difficulties than those not involved in cyberbullying situations. These findings contribute to demonstrate the satisfactory psychometric quality of the ECIP-Q scores as an assessment tool for cyberbullying in Spanish adolescents.