Cyberbullies, the Cyberbullied, and Problematic Internet Use: Some Reasonable Similarities.

Abstract

The spread of the internet and Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have completely changed society in the last few decades. The transfer of traditional face-to-face bullying to the virtual environment is one of the risks adolescents face in this new reality. The present study sought to explore the relationship between involvement in cyberbullying and behaviours such as internet and mobile usage and other risky online behaviours. The sample consisted of 3,188 adolescents aged 12-17 years old (Mean= 14.44; SD= 1.67). The application of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ) found that 5.2% were victims, 4.5% perpetrators and 4.3% bully-victims. Results also showed that cyberbullying seems to be associated with both Problematic Internet Use and behaviours such as sexting, gambling and contacting strangers, which suggests a need for a comprehensive approach for preventing all these issues. Moreover, parental monitoring could serve as a modulating factor, which should also be taken into account in the development of appropriate prevention strategies.