Psychometric Properties of the CYBVICS Cyber-Victimization Scale and Its Relationship with Psychosocial Variables

Abstract

The main goal of the present study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the revised version of the Adolescent Cyber-Victimization Scale (CYBVICS). This scale is composed of 18 items that assess direct and indirect cyber-victimization. Two subsamples participated in the present study. Sample 1 included 1318 adolescents (47.4% boys) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 13.89, SD = 1.32). Sample 2 was composed of 1188 adolescents (51.5% girls) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 14.19, SD = 1.80). First, an exploratory factor analysis was conducted on sample 1. Results yielded a bifactor structure: direct cyber-victimization and indirect cyber-victimization. To confirm the structure of the CYBVICS, we selected sample 2 to perform confirmatory factor analysis and test its convergent validity with theoretically related measures. The results supported the reliability and validity of the two-factor model. In addition, measurement invariance was established. Related to convergent validity, positive correlations between cyber-victimization and peer victimization, depressive symptoms, and offensive communication with the mother and the father were found. Moreover, negative correlations were found between cyber-victimization and open communication with the mother and the father and family self-esteem.

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

“…Cyberbullying is defined as intentional, aggressive, and repetitive behavior, where a person or group uses electronic devices (mainly the Internet and the smartphone) to bully a person who cannot defend him/herself [5,16,17]. Anonymity, the 24/7 nature of the harassment, and a potentially large audience are specific characteristics of cyberbullying that foster and worsen the damage caused to the victim [18][19][20].…”

“…Although it is true that these instruments are interesting for the purposes of many studies, it is also important and necessary to have questionnaires that make it possible to analyze and closely examine a specific profile, such as the role of the cyber-victim [5] or the cyberbully [34,40]. For instance, in their study on cyberbullies, Wang et al [7] conclude that the adverse effect of childhood maltreatment is related to adolescents' cyberbullying perpetration.…”

“…The CABS scale consisted of 10 items that measured harassment, insults, invasion of privacy, identity theft, and social exclusion [44] carried out by the adolescent in the past year. The new CYB-AGS scale adds eight more items related to new cyberbullying behaviors in order to evaluate two types of cyberbullying: direct and indirect [5,34,45].…”

“…Currently, the smartphone is an indispensable everyday object in people's lives, particularly in the daily lives of young people around the world [4][5][6]. In China, 90% of its 258 million young people have a smartphone they use to connect to their social networks daily [7].…”

“…New technologies certainly have important advantages, but they also have serious risks when they are misused [3], as in the case of cyberbullying. In this regard, it is very likely that 5G hyper-connectivity could increase the phenomenon of cyberbullying, which is already recognized as a major worldwide social and public health problem [5,[13][14][15].…”