J. A. Mora-Merchán

The Emotional Impact on Victims of Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying A Study of Spanish Adolescents

We examine the emotional impact caused to victims of bullying in its traditional form, both directly and indirectly, as well as bullying inflicted by use of new technologies such as mobile phones and the Internet. A sample of 1,671 adolescents and young people responded to a questionnaire which asked if they had been victims of various forms of bullying, as well as the emotions this caused. The results show that although traditional bullying affected significantly more young people than cyberbullying, the latter affected one in ten adolescents. Analysis of the emotions caused showed that traditional bullying produced a wide variety of impacts, with the victims being divided into five different emotional categories, while indirect bullying and cyberbullying presented a narrower variety of results with the victims being classifiable into just two groups: Those who said that they had not been emotionally affected and those who simultaneously suffered from a wide variety of negative emotions. The influence of age, gender, and severity on each emotional category is also analyzed.

The emotional impact of bullying and cyberbullying on victims: a European cross-national study

Past research has demonstrated the effects of bullying can be severe and long term for the individuals involved. The main aim of this study is to analyze the emotional impact on victims of traditional bullying, both direct and indirect forms, and of cyberbullying through mobile phones and the Internet. A sample of 5,862 adolescents from three different countries, Italy (N = 1,964), Spain (N = 1,671), and England (N = 2,227), responded to a questionnaire that asked if they had experience of various forms of bullying, and the consequent emotional impact. The results show that both traditional bullying and cyberbullying have a significant prevalence in the samples. Emotional responses are linked to types of bullying. Analysis of answers identified specific emotional profiles for the different types of bullying and cyberbullying. Direct bullying and cyberbullying via mobile phone showed similar profiles, and also indirect bullying and cyberbullying using the Internet. Similarities and differences between profiles are discussed and some hypotheses are presented to explain the results. In addition, school grade, gender, country, and severity of bullying episodes were related to the specific emotional profiles of each type of bullying.

Lonely in the crowd: Recollections of bullying

This study examined the long-term correlates of victimization in school with aspects of functioning in adult life, using a specially designed Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire, which also included questions about short-term effects (e. g. suicidal ideation and intrusive memories) and victimization experiences in adulthood. Current relationship quality was assessed in terms of self-perception, attachment style and friendship quality. In total, 884 adults (35% male) from two occupations (teacher, student) and three countries (Spain, Germany, UK) participated. Victims and especially stable victims (in both primary and secondary school) scored lower on general self-esteem and higher on emotional loneliness, and reported more difficulties in maintaining friendships, than non-victims. Victims in secondary school had a lower self-esteem in relation to the opposite sex and were more often fearfully attached. The data revealed additional differences by gender, occupation and country level, but no further interactions with victim status. This indicates a general association between victimization in school and quality of later life predominately robust to variations in gender, occupation and country. Possible limitations caused by the retrospective nature of victimization reports are acknowledged.

The Long-Term Effects of Coping Strategy Use in Victims of Bullying.

The ways in which children appraise and cope with school bullying are likely to influence the long-term outcomes experienced. To examine this possibility, 219 Spanish undergraduate students (73 male, 146 female) aged between 18 and 40, completed an adapted version of the Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire (RBQ; Schäfer et al., 2004) and a distress scale (Rivers, 1999). Results indicated that neither coping strategies reported by victims of bullying nor the match between control appraisal and coping strategy influenced levels of distress experienced as adults. Control, threat and challenge appraisals did, however, influence long-term distress. Explanations for these effects are discussed, and include the possibility that appraisals may directly influence levels of distress and the quality of emotions experienced by victims during the actual bullying episode. Active strategies were perceived by students to be effective in dealing with bullying, whereas those centered on avoiding the conflict, or which involved aggression, were considered ineffective.

A content analysis of school anti-bullying policies: a follow-up after six years

An analysis was undertaken of 217 English school anti-bullying policies, from 169 primary schools and 48 secondary schools, using a 34-item scoring scheme. Findings were compared with an analysis of 142 schools six years earlier. Overall schools in the current analysis had about 49% of the items in their policies, a modest increase over the previous study. Most included a definition of bullying and statements about improving school climate but many schools did not mention other important aspects, and there was low coverage of cyberbullying, homophobic bullying, bullying based on disabilities, or faith; teacher–pupil bullying; responsibilities beyond those of teaching staff; following up of incidents; and specific preventative measures such as playground work, peer support, inclusiveness issues, and bullying to and from school. Several improvements in policies, significant for 20 out of 34 criteria were noted. Findings are discussed in terms of national policy, and ways to support schools in maximising the potential of their policies for reducing bullying.

Las redes de iguales y el fenómeno del acoso escolar: explorando el esquema dominio-sumisión

Resumen El fenómeno del acoso escolar es uno de los problemas que más afecta al clima de convivencia de las aulas de la mayoría de los centros escolares. Actualmente es ya un tema muy investigado. Numerosos trabajos han descrito su incidencia y han valorado su gravedad. Sin embargo, el propio constructo “acoso escolar” requiere todavía un análisis más profundo y explicativo. En este artículo se pretende avanzar en el conocimiento y comprensión de este problema desde el planteamiento de una teoría cognitivo-relacional que considera las características individuales de los sujetos y la red de iguales como unidades de análisis. Vara sustentar esta teoría se presenta un estudio de naturaleza sociométrica donde se consideran los vínculos que se establecen entre los implicados en los episodios de maltrato entre iguales, así como las percepciones y atribuciones que de esos vínculos tienen los alumnos. Los datos apoyan la importancia que estos factores tienen en el mantenimiento del esquema dominio-sumisión al que atribuimos naturaleza de núcleo central de la dinámica del acoso.

El aula como escenario de la vida afectiva y moral

ResumenEl problema de las relaciones de maltrato y abuso que tienen lugar a veces entre los escolares, dentro del marco de convivencia del sistema escolar, es un tema, hasta ahora poco estudiado, que sin embargo, se vuelve cada vez mas preocupante dados los altos indices de violencia juvenil que se observan. Para los que estamos interesados en el analisis de los procesos educativos, este tema es de gran relevancia porque nos plantea retos que van mas alla del aprendizaje de contenidos escolares, rondando el complejo asunto de la vida afectiva y moral de los escolares. Hemos entendido que estudiar estos problemas demanda, en primer lugar, un posicionamiento conceptual que analice el entramado de factores que inciden en el. Asi, en este articulo nos hemos propuesto caracterizar como entendemos las relaciones entre la afectividad, la moral y el contacto interpersonal con los otros. En el analisis que presentamos, cobra gran relevancia el aula como el escenario donde las relaciones con los iguales adquieren g...

Perceived emotional intelligence as a moderator variable between cybervictimization and its emotional impact

The negative effects of traditional bullying and, recently, cyberbullying on victims are well-documented, and abundant empirical evidence for it exists. Cybervictimization affects areas such as academic performance, social integration and self-esteem, and causes emotions ranging from anger and sadness to more complex problems such as depression. However, not all victims are equally affected, and the differences seem to be due to certain situational and personal characteristics. The objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between perceived emotional intelligence (PEI) and the emotional impact of cybervictimization. We hypothesize that EI, which has previously been found to play a role in traditional bullying and cyberbullying, may also affect the emotional impact of cyberbullying. The participants in our study were 636 university students from two universities in the south of Spain. Three self-report questionnaires were used: the “European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire,” the “Cyberbullying Emotional Impact Scale”; and “Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24.” Structural Equation Models were used to test the relationships between the analyzed variables. The results support the idea that PEI, by way of a moderator effect, affects the relationship between cybervictimization and emotional impact. Taken together, cybervictimization and PEI explain much of the variance observed in the emotional impact in general and in the negative dimensions of that impact in particular. Attention and Repair were found to be inversely related to Annoyance and Dejection, and positively related to Invigoration. Clarity has the opposite pattern; a positive relationship with Annoyance and Dejection and an inverse relationship with Invigoration. Various hypothetical explanations of these patterns are discussed.

Programa «Asegúrate»: Efectos en ciberagresión y sus factores de riesgo

La intervencion contra el ciberacoso entre escolares y otros riesgos asociados al uso inapropiado de las TIC y las redes sociales, es una importante demanda social. El programa «Asegurate» pretende facilitar la labor docente en dicha intervencion. El presente trabajo da cuenta del impacto de este programa entre quienes han mostrado ser menos sensibles en otros programas: los ciberagresores. Concretamente, se analiza su impacto en la prevalencia de agresion en ciberacoso y acoso escolar, asi como en sexting y uso abusivo de Internet y redes sociales. La evaluacion del programa se desarrollo con un total de 479 estudiantes (54,9% chicas) de Educacion Secundaria Obligatoria (edad M=13,83. DT=1,40) mediante una metodologia cuasi-experimental, con dos mediciones a lo largo del tiempo. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el «European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire», el «European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire», el «Cuestionario de Experiencias Relacionadas con Internet» y dos items sobre implicacion en sexting. Los resultados muestran que, en ausencia de intervencion, la implicacion en ciberagresion, sexting y la dimension intrapersonal del uso abusivo de Internet y redes sociales aumenta mientras que, con intervencion, dichas implicaciones disminuyen. Asimismo, se evidencia una disminucion significativa de la intensidad de la agresion y ciberagresion en ciberagresores. Por tanto, se puede afirmar que el programa resulta efectivo tanto para disminuir la prevalencia de agresiones y ciberagresiones como la implicacion en otros fenomenos considerados factores de riesgo del ciberacoso.

'Asegúrate' Program: Effects on cyber-aggression and its risk factors

Intervention against cyberbullying and other risks associated with the misuse of ITC and social networks is an important social demand. The «Asegurate» Program tries to support teachers in this intervention. This research shows the impact of the program among those that have shown to be less sensitive to other ones: cyber-aggressors. Concretely, the impact of the program on the prevalence of aggression in cyberbullying and bullying, sexting and abusive use of the Internet and social networks are analyzed. The evaluation of the program was carried out with a sample of 479 students (54.9% girls) of Compulsory Secondary Education (age M=13.83. SD=1.40) through a quasi-experimental methodology, with two measures over time. The instruments used were the “European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire”, the “European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire”, the ”Internet Related Experiences Questionnaire” and two items about sexting involvement. The results show that the involvement in cyber aggression, sexting, and intrapersonal dimension of abusive use of Internet and social network increases without intervention, whereas it diminishes when the intervention is carried out. Moreover, a significant decrease in the aggression and cyber aggression among cyber aggressors is evidenced. Thus, “Asegurate” Program is effective for decreasing the prevalence of aggressions and cyber aggressions as well as the involvement in other phenomena considered cyberbullying risk factors.