Cyberbullying and School Bullying Are Related to Additive Adverse Effects among Adolescents.

Ossa, Fanny Carina; Jantzer, Vanessa; Neumayer, Franziska; Eppelmann, Lena; Resch, Franz; Kaess, Michael (2023). Cyberbullying and School Bullying Are Related to Additive Adverse Effects among Adolescents. Psychopathology, 56(1-2), pp. 127-137. Karger 10.1159/000523992

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INTRODUCTION

The aim of this study was to examine whether (a) cyberbullying has unique associations with mental health problems, risk-taking, and self-harm behavior in victims and perpetrators when compared to school bullying and (b) if cyberbullying is associated with an additional burden for students already involved in school bullying.

METHODS

Data were collected from 6,561 students across 23 schools in Germany (grades 5-13). The sample was divided into the following four groups: cyber-only involvement (victims = 1.9%, perpetrators = 0.6%), school-only involvement (victims = 17.2%, perpetrators = 11.9%), dual involvement (victims = 5.7%, perpetrators = 2.9%), and noninvolvement (victims = 75.3%, perpetrators = 84.6%). Multilevel mixed-effects regression analysis was conducted to examine group differences in mental health (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, KIDSCREEN-10), risk-taking, and self-harm behavior (e.g., substance use, suicide attempts).

RESULTS

Cyber-only bullying had unique associations with mental health problems and risk-taking behavior in victims (lower levels of peer relationship problems: p < 0.001, greater substance use: p < 0.05) and perpetrators (higher levels of peer relationship problems: p < 0.05) when compared to school-only bullying. Dual victims and perpetrators reported significantly more mental health problems (victims: χ2(5) = 221.58, p < 0.001; perpetrators: χ2(5) = 116.40, p < 0.001) and were more likely to report risk-taking and self-harm behavior (victims: χ2(7) = 115.15, p < 0.001; perpetrators: χ2(7) = 38.79, p < 0.001) than students involved in school-only bullying.

CONCLUSION

Cyber-only bullying appears to be related to specific mental health issues beyond those associated with school-only bullying. Cyberbullying and school bullying go along with additive mental health problems, risk-taking, and self-harm behavior in both victims and perpetrators. Thus, bullying prevention and intervention programs should also target cyberbullying.

Item Type:

Journal Article (Original Article)

Division/Institute:

04 Faculty of Medicine > University Psychiatric Services > University Hospital of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy

UniBE Contributor:

Kaess, Michael

Subjects:

600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health

ISSN:

1423-033X

Publisher:

Karger

Language:

English

Submitter:

Pubmed Import

Date Deposited:

03 May 2022 10:32

Last Modified:

07 Mar 2023 00:11

Publisher DOI:

10.1159/000523992

PubMed ID:

35490676

Uncontrolled Keywords:

Cyberbullying Mental health Risk-taking behavior School bullying Self-harm

BORIS DOI:

10.48350/169703

URI:

https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/169703

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