Youth engaging in online harassment: associations with caregiver–child relationships, Internet use, and personal characteristics^☆

Abstract

To date, research focused on “traditional” (i.e. in‐person) youth bullying behaviour has documented serious psychosocial challenges for those involved. How this literature translates to youth engaging in aggressive behaviours online has yet to be examined. Using the largest US sample of youth Internet users to date, psychosocial characteristics of youth engaging in Internet harassment were examined. Results from the nationally representative survey suggested that Internet harassment is a significant public health issue, with aggressors facing multiple psychosocial challenges including poor parent–child relationships, substance use, and delinquency. Comparisons to traditional bullies were made, with similarities and differences noted.

Mapping Developmental Precursors of Cyber-Aggression: Trajectories of Risk Predict Perpetration and Victimization

“…For instance, youthful perpetrators and victims of cyber-aggression have concurrently high levels of alcohol use (Ybarra, Diener-West, & Leaf, 2007) and substance use, including marijuana (Hinduja & Patchin, 2008). Likewise, cyber-aggression perpetration is linked with a higher prevalence of problem behaviors such as physical aggression and damaging property (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004a), and perpetration and victimization are related to frequent substance use and delinquency (Hinduja & Patchin, 2007;Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004b). Finally, there is an apparent link between cyber-aggression and poor mental health, including lowered self-esteem (Brighi, et al, 2012;Patchin & Hinduja, 2010) and elevated depressive symptoms (Wang, Nansel, & Iannotti, 2011;Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004b;Ybarra, Mitchell, Wolak, & Finkelhor, 2006).…”

“…Likewise, cyber-aggression perpetration is linked with a higher prevalence of problem behaviors such as physical aggression and damaging property (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004a), and perpetration and victimization are related to frequent substance use and delinquency (Hinduja & Patchin, 2007;Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004b). Finally, there is an apparent link between cyber-aggression and poor mental health, including lowered self-esteem (Brighi, et al, 2012;Patchin & Hinduja, 2010) and elevated depressive symptoms (Wang, Nansel, & Iannotti, 2011;Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004b;Ybarra, Mitchell, Wolak, & Finkelhor, 2006). For victims, this extends to psychosomatic difficulties (Sourander, et al, 2010) including adjustment issues such as higher feelings of loneliness from parents and peers (Brighi, et al 2012).…”

“…Lewinsohn, Rohde, & Seeley, 1998). Given that cyber-aggression is often co-morbid with these adverse developmental outcomes (Hinduja & Patchin , 2008;Luk, Wang, Simons-Morton, 2012;Vieno, Gianluca, & Santinello, 2012;Wang et al, 2011;Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004b), it is important to understand how their developmental progression relates to perpetration and victimization of cyber-aggression.…”

Caracterización de cyberbullying en el gran Santiago de Chile, en el año 2010

“…Si bien, el porcentaje encontrado es menor que el reportado en países desarrollados como Estados Unidos o Canadá (Li, 2006;Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004) es superior al reportado en otros países hispanos, por ejemplo, en España solo un 5,5% de los estudiantes reconoce ser víctimas de cyberbullying (Defensor del Pueblo, 2007).…”

“…Por ejemplo, la accesibilidad a Internet aumentó de 250.000 usuarios a más de 4,8 millones de usuarios en el período 1997-2004(PNUD, 2006.Adicionalmente, respecto al acceso a telefonía celular, la Subsecretaría de Telecomunicaciones de Chile indicaba que ya en el año 2009 existían 3,4 teléfonos celulares por cada hogar, por lo que se puede concluir que alguno de estos teléfonos se encuentra en manos de uno de los hijos/as de dicho hogar. Datos de nivel nacional indican la gran proliferación del uso de las tecnologías entre los adolescentes.…”