Sebastian Wachs

Moral disengagement and emotional and social difficulties in bullying and cyberbullying: differences by participant role

Participant roles in traditional bullying have been well researched, and the social and emotional characteristics identified with each role are clearly documented. However, little is known about the participant roles in cyberbullying and the degree to which these correspond to traditional bullying roles. This study aims to investigate similarities and differences between participant roles in traditional bullying and cyberbullying, in terms of moral disengagement and social and emotional characteristics. In total, 517 German students in grades 5–10 were assessed for bullying involvement using the Computer Assisted Personal Interview (CAPI) method. Cyberbullying was slightly less frequent than traditional bullying, although there was considerable overlap, with many students involved in cyberbullying also participating in traditional bullying. More cyberbullies had a bad conscience compared to traditional bullies, hence students involved in cyberbullying showed greater moral disengagement. High school satisfaction emerged as a protective factor for nearly all roles, while feeling lonely, feeling unpopular and being friendless appeared as risk factors for (cyber)victimisation. The enhancement of empathy by (cyber)bullies and (cyber)assistants for their targets, and the development of a positive school culture, are proposed as key aspects for both anti-bullying and anti-cyberbullying prevention and intervention.

A cross-national study of direct and indirect effects of cyberbullying on cybergrooming victimization via self-esteem

The present study reports frequency rates of cybergrooming, profiled characteristics of cybergrooming perpetrators, and examine direct and indirect associations between cyberbullying victimization, self-esteem, and cybergrooming victimization. The study sample included 2,162 adolescents between 11 and 19 years from three Western (Germany, the Netherlands, the United States) countries and one Southeast Asian country (Thailand). Across countries, 18.5% of participants reported having had contact with a cybergroomer. Western girls, as compared to boys, were at greater risk to have been contacted by a cybergroomer. No significant sex difference was found for Southeast Asian adolescents. Also, Southeast Asian adolescents reported higher rates of cybergroomer contact as compared to Western adolescents. Cybergroomers were most often males and older than victims. Both cyberbullying victimization and low self-esteem increased the probability of coming into contact with a cybergroomer, and self-esteem mediated the effects of cyberbullying victimization on cybergrooming victimization. The results are discussed in relation to practical implications and future research.

Do Emotional Components of Alexithymia Mediate the Interplay between Cyberbullying Victimization and Perpetration

A substantial amount of research has revealed that cyberbully-victims have more emotional and behavioral problems than either cyberbullying victims or perpetrators. However, until now, little research has been conducted into the factors that contribute to the interplay between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between cyberbullying victimization, perpetration, and two emotional components of alexithymia, namely difficulties in identifying and describing one’s own feelings. Self-report questions were administered to 1549 adolescents between 12 and 18 years old (M = 14.51; SD = 1.68; 42.1% (n = 652) male) from Germany and Thailand. Results showed that cyberbullying victimization and alexithymia are associated with cyberbullying perpetration. Moreover, alexithymia mediated the associations between cyberbullying victimization and adolescents’ cyberbullying perpetration. Consequently, we suggest that the ability to describe and identify one’s own feelings might be important for understanding the link between cyberbullying, victimization, and perpetration. The results may help develop prevention and intervention programs focused on reducing cyberbullying.

Zusammenhänge zwischen deviantem und risikoreichem Onlineverhalten 12- bis 13-jähriger Kinder aus drei Ländern

Die zunehmende Verbreitung von Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT) eroffnet neue Handlungs- und Erfahrungsraume fur Kinder, in denen Vorsichtsmasnahmen und sozial akzeptierte Verhaltensregeln erst noch entwickelt bzw. ausgehandelt werden mussen. Dabei verandert sich die Nutzung uber die Altersgruppen stark. Nutzen laut KIM Studie 2012 von den 6- bis 7-Jahrigen 7 Prozent das Internet/Online-Dienste jeden bzw. fast jeden Tag, so sind es bereits 58 Prozent der 12- bis 13-Jahrigen. 55 Prozent der gleichen Altersklasse durfen online gehen, ohne ihre Eltern um Erlaubnis zu bitten, und 68 Prozent sind bei einem sozialen Netzwerk angemeldet (uberwiegend Facebook). Dort sind sie auserst aktiv, chatten, versenden Nachrichten, posten, was sie machen, schreiben Kommentare, stellen Fotos und Videos ein oder suchen nach neuen Kontakten.

Jugend, Musik und Sozialisation – Eine Einführung in die Thematik

Der Artikel beleuchtet einleitend den komplexen Zusammenhang der Dimensionen Jugend, Musik und Sozialisation. Ausgehend von verschiedenen thematischen Foki der vergangenen Jahrzehnte beschreibt er uberblickhaft, welche Bedeutung die immer komplexeren musikalischen Welten fur Jugendliche haben (konnen). Dabei wird auf die Jugendlichen fokussiert und verdeutlicht, dass es verkurzt ist, von ‚den Jugendlichen‘ verallgemeinernd zu sprechen. Vielmehr erscheint eine differenzierte Betrachtung aufgrund der verschiedenen sozio-kulturellen, sozio-okonomischen, ethnischen und subjektiven Sozialisationsbedingungen angemessen, um musikorientierte Lebenswelten der Jugendlichen zu verstehen. Vor diesem Hintergrund erfolgt auch die Begrundung einer disziplinaren wie interdisziplinaren Betrachtungsweise des im Titel des Bandes benannten Zusammenhangs zwischen Jugend, Musik und Sozialisation. Der Beitrag verschafft zudem einen Uberblick uber die einzelnen Kapitel des Handbuchs.

Bullying Intervention in Schools: A Multilevel Analysis of Teachers’ Success in Handling Bullying From the Students’ Perspective:

To date, little has been known about teachers’ success in bullying interventions. Thus, the present study analyzes how successfully teachers intervene in real bullying situations, based on an analysis of 1,996 reports by German students aged between 12 and 15 (49.2% female) from 24 schools. Predictors of success included intervention strategy (authoritarian-punitive, supportive-individual, supportive-cooperative intervention), bullying form (physical, verbal, relational, cyber), and the student’s bullying role (bully, victim, bystander) in the particular situation. Multilevel analyses showed that supportive-cooperative intervention strategies were the most successful in dealing with bullying in both the short and long term. In the long term, students evaluated teachers as being more successful in dealing with cyberbullying compared with physical bullying. Compared with students who observed bullying, students who perpetrated it were less likely to report that teachers’ interventions were successful in the short term. Implications for bullying intervention, preservice teacher-training, and future research are discussed.

Differences in Adolescents’ Response Decision and Evaluation for Face-to-Face and Cyber Victimization

The current study was designed to assess early adolescents’ response evaluation and decision for hypothetical peer victimization vignettes. Participants were 336 (59% girls; X ¯ age = 12.55) seventh and eighth graders from one school in the Midwestern United States. Adolescents read a hypothetical online or offline social situation and answered questions designed to access internal congruence, response evaluation, response efficacy, emotional outcome expectancy, and social outcome expectancy. Girls were more likely to believe that aggressive responses online and offline would lead to positive social and emotional outcome expectancies when compared with boys. Adolescents were more likely to believe that offline and online aggressive responses were legitimate responses to face-to-face victimization, feel that aggressive responses online or offline were easier to execute in response to face-to-face victimization, and that aggressive responses online or offline would lead to positive emotions and better social outcomes.

Associations between Bystanders and Perpetrators of Online Hate: The Moderating Role of Toxic Online Disinhibition

Hatred directed at members of groups due to their origin, race, gender, religion, or sexual orientation is not new, but it has taken on a new dimension in the online world. To date, very little is known about online hate among adolescents. It is also unknown how online disinhibition might influence the association between being bystanders and being perpetrators of online hate. Thus, the present study focused on examining the associations among being bystanders of online hate, being perpetrators of online hate, and the moderating role of toxic online disinhibition in the relationship between being bystanders and perpetrators of online hate. In total, 1480 students aged between 12 and 17 years old were included in this study. Results revealed positive associations between being online hate bystanders and perpetrators, regardless of whether adolescents had or had not been victims of online hate themselves. The results also showed an association between toxic online disinhibition and online hate perpetration. Further, toxic online disinhibition moderated the relationship between being bystanders of online hate and being perpetrators of online hate. Implications for prevention programs and future research are discussed.

Correlates of Mono- and Dual-Victims of Cybergrooming and Cyberbullying: Evidence from Four Countries

Todays adolescents grow up using information and communication technologies as an integral part of their everyday life. This affords them with extensive opportunities, but also exposes them to online risks, such as cybergrooming and cyberbullying victimization. The aims of this study were to investigate correlates of cybergrooming and cyberbullying victimization and examine whether victims of both cybergrooming and cyberbullying (dual-cybervictims) show higher involvement in compulsive Internet use (CIU) and troubled offline behavior (TOB) compared to victims of either cybergrooming or cyberbullying (mono-cybervictims). The sample consisted of 2,042 Dutch, German, Thai, and U.S. adolescents (age = 11-17 years; M = 14.2; SD = 1.4). About every ninth adolescent (10.9 percent) reported either mono- or dual-cybervictimization. Second, both CIU and TOB were associated with all three types of cybervictimization, and finally, both CIU and TOB were more strongly linked to dual-cybervictimization than to both forms of mono-cybervictimization. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the associations between different forms of cybervictimization and psychological health and behavior problems among adolescents.

Jugend, Musik und Sozialisation: Forschungsdesiderata und Ausblick

Der Beitrag bundelt abschliesend die einzelnen im Verlauf des Handbuchs behandelten thematischen Schwerpunkte in systematischer Form und fokussiert auf Forschungsdesiderata bzw. -perspektiven. Somit dient er zum einen dazu, offene Fragen transparent zu machen und Perspektiven fur Fragestellungen zu eroffnen, deren empirische Bearbeitung aussteht. Da es sich bei dem Handbuch auch um einen Band handelt, der Nachwuchswissenschaftlerinnen und -wissenschaftler zu einer Beschaftigung mit dem Gegenstand anregen mochte, werden hier auch Perspektiven fur eigene Forschungsarbeiten – bspw. Abschlussarbeiten – eroffnet. Zum anderen fokussiert das Kapitel ausblickhaft den Zusammenhang von Musik und Ganztagsschule unter der Perspektive einer lebenslangen Bildung im formal-institutionellen Rahmen – auch bezogen auf den Gegenstand Musik – und uber diesen in Bereichen non-formaler wie informeller Bildung hinaus.