María Jesús Cava Caballero

Influencia del clima escolar y familiar en adolescentes, víctimas de ciberacoso

Cyberbullying 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 expressive¬ness) 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 programs.Cyberbullying 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 programs.El ciberacoso es un fenomeno de creciente preocupacion social que afecta cada vez mas a ninos y adolescentes de todos los paises desarrollados. A diferencia de la considerable literatura que hay sobre las relaciones entre el acoso escolar y el contexto familiar y escolar, todavia hay pocos trabajos sobre la influencia de estos entornos sociales en el problema del ciberacoso. Mediante una metodologia cuantitativa, el objetivo principal del presente estudio fue analizar la influencia del contexto escolar y familiar en victimas 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 anos (M=14,5; DT=1,62). Se establecieron tres grupos de contraste: cibervictimas severas, cibervictimas moderadas y no victimas de ciberacoso. Los resultados del analisis de varianza indicaron que las cibervictimas severas en comparacion con las no victimas puntuan significativamente mas alto en conflicto familiar y obtienen puntuaciones mas bajas en el resto de variables familiares (autoestima familiar, cohesion y expresividad), y variables escolares (implicacion, afiliacion y ayuda al profesor), consideradas en el estudio. Los analisis de regresion revelaron que la autoestima academica y familiar y algunas dimensiones del clima familiar y escolar predicen la cibervictimizacion en la adolescencia. Estos novedosos resultados muestran la importancia de incluir a la familia y a la escuela en los programas de prevencion del ciberacoso.