The Influence of School Climate and Family Climate among Adolescents Victims of Cyberbullying

Abstract

El ciberacoso es un fenómeno de creciente preocupación social que afecta cada vez más a niños y adolescentes de todos los paí- ses desarrollados. A diferencia de la considerable literatura que hay sobre las relaciones entre el acoso escolar y el contexto familiar y escolar, todavía hay pocos trabajos sobre la influencia de estos entornos sociales en el problema del ciberacoso. Mediante una metodología cuantitativa, el objetivo principal del presente estudio fue analizar la influencia del contexto escolar y familiar en víctimas de ciberacoso. La muestra estuvo formada por 1.062 adolescentes (51,5% chicos y 48,5% chicas), de edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 18 años (M=14,5; DT=1,62). Se establecieron tres grupos de contraste: cibervíctimas severas, cibervíctimas moderadas y no víctimas de ciberacoso. Los resultados del análisis de varianza indicaron que las cibervíctimas severas en comparación con las no víctimas puntúan significativamente más alto en conflicto familiar y obtienen puntuaciones más bajas en el resto de variables familiares (autoestima familiar, cohesión y expresividad), y variables escolares (implicación, afiliación y ayuda al profesor), consideradas en el estudio. Los análisis de regresión revelaron que la autoestima académica y familiar y algunas dimensiones del clima familiar y escolar predicen la cibervictimización en la adolescencia. Estos novedosos resultados muestran la importancia de incluir a la familia y a la escuela en los programas de prevención del ciberacosoCyberbullying is a phenomenon of growing social concern that affects an increasing number of children and adolescents from all the developed countries. Although there is a large body of literature on the relationships between school bullying and the family and school contexts, few studies have examined the influence of these social environments on the problem of cyberbullying. Using a quantitative methodology, the main objective of this study was to analyse the influence of the school and family contexts on victims of cyberbullying. The sample consisted of 1,062 Spanish adolescents (51.5% boys and 48.5% girls) from 11 to 18 years old (M=14.5; SD=1.62). Three comparison groups were formed: severe cyberbullying victims, moderate cyberbullying victims, and non-victims of cyberbullying. The results of the analysis of variance indicated that severe cyberbullying victims, compared to non-victims, scored significantly higher on family conflict and obtained lower scores on the remaining family (family self-concept, cohesion and expressiveness) and school (involvement, affiliation, and teacher support) variables considered in the study. Regression analyses revealed that academic and family self-concept and some dimensions of family and school climate predict cyber-victimization in adolescence. These new results point to the importance of including the family and the school in cyberbullying prevention program

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

“…The technological changes, along with the appearance and modification of new cyber-victimization behaviors, as well as the severe consequences of cyber-bullying for the victim's psychological wellbeing (Ortega-Barón et al 2016;Nocentini et al 2018), suggest the need for updated and reliable instruments that allow its adequate measurement. In this regard, this study has found empirical evidence that supports the scale's validity, factor structure, internal consistency, and convergent validity with theoretically related external variables.…”

Adolescent Problem in Psychology: A Review of Adolescent Mental Health Studies

“…Cyberbullying is a phenomenon of social growth possessed by children and adolescents in their development (Ortega-barón, Buelga, & Cava, 2016). Bullying behavior is often repeated, potentially repeated over time (Center for Disease Control, 2014).…”

System to Detect Racial-Based Bullying through Gamification

“…This idea is reinforced by the exhaustive work done in 33 countries from 2002 to 2010 with students aged 10–15, which concluded that countries which have made decisions concerning the social problem of bullying and have carried out specific actions in school contexts have reduced both occasional and chronic victimization (Chester et al, 2015). Another recent study included the family along with the school in the bullying/cyberbullying prevention measures (Ortega et al, 2016). Beyond that, even the need to talk about citizenship is suggested, as the relationship between bullying and cyberbullying with homophobia, sexism, racism and other discriminatory situations, which are reinforced and modeled by the adult society, has been demonstrated, and structured action leading to the prevention of this phenomenon must start when schooling begins (Cabra and Marciales, 2015).…”