Exploring the Importance of Gender, Family Affluence, Parenting Style and Loneliness in Cyberbullying Victimization and Aggression among Romanian Adolescents

Abstract

The increasing phenomenon of cyberbullying among adolescents needs parental, educational, and social intervention. The study aimed to identify the prevalence of cyberbullying among Romanian adolescents and the importance of gender, family-related factors, self-esteem, and parental styles in both victims and perpetrators. A total of 835 adolescents aged 10–19 years were included in the research. An online questionnaire was specially constructed for this research, gathering socio-demographic and family-related data along with information about cyberbullying as a victim, aggressor, or bystander, and strategies used in order to deal with it. Four psychological scales were used to evaluate self-esteem, loneliness, cybervictimization/cyberaggression, and parental style. (3) Results showed that the most common age for a personal smartphone is M = 10.24 ± 2.43. The main reasons why students use these networks are primarily chatting and fun and less for academic tasks. During the week, adolescents spend 5.53 ± 2.75 h on social media, while during weekends, the duration of smartphone usage almost doubles. Girls are the most common victims of cyberbullying, and less than three-quarters of students believe that aggressors can be both girls and boys, and only a quarter of them have reported an incident. Family affluence, the relationship with parents and classmates, the presence of loneliness and sociodemographic factors were found to be in a strong relationship with the presence of aggression and/or victimization among adolescents. Cyberaggression was found to be positively correlated with the aggressive parental style and negatively correlated with the compassionate and avoidant parental styles. Results are crucial for identifying cyberbullying actors and preventing the negative effects of cyberbullying on psychological, social, and academic life for students, parents, and teachers.

The Relationship Between Bullying Behaviors and Self-esteem Among Primary School Students in Iraq

“…This result is inconsistent with the study of cyberbullying victimization among Romanian adolescents. The researchers found that girls have low level of selfesteem because they are exposed to cyberbullying more than boys [21].…”

Parental migration and cyberbullying victimization among Chinese left-behind children: understanding the association and mediating factors

“…On one hand, parents influence children's susceptibility to cyberbullying through their parenting practice and oversight. For instance, a study involving Romanian adolescents demonstrated that a supportive parenting style serves as a protective factor, shielding adolescents from cyberbullying victimization ( 21 ). Similarly, Wu et al found that parental rejection from both fathers and mothers increases children's risk of experiencing cyberbullying, slowing down the decline in such victimization over time ( 22 ).…”

“…On the other hand, the quality of parent-child relationship is a key predictor of children's vulnerability to cyberbullying. Adolescents who have a more positive and satisfying relationship with their parents are less likely to experience cyberbullying ( 21 , 24 ). Liu and Chen found that parent-child closeness plays a crucial role in reducing the risk of adolescents being victims in cyberbullying ( 25 ).…”

Кибербуллинг: Зарубежный Опыт Исследования

“…Установлено, что благополучие семьи, общение с родителями и одноклассниками, наличие одиночества и социально-демографические факторы тесно связаны с наличием агрессии и/или жертвенности среди подростков. Результаты имеют решающее значение для выявления участников кибербуллинга и предотвращения негативного влияния кибербуллинга на психологическую, социальную и академическую жизнь учащихся, родителей и учителей [9].…”