Educational Environments with Cultural and Religious Diversity: Psychometric Analysis of the Cyberbullying Scale

María Tomé-Fernández,José Manuel Ortiz-Marcos,Eva María Olmedo-Moreno

doi:10.3390/rel10070443

María Tomé-Fernández, José Manuel Ortiz-Marcos + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3390/rel10070443

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Journal: Religions	Publication Date: Jul 21, 2019
Citations: 11	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Granada

Abstract

The objective of this research is to adapt and validate a useful instrument to diagnose cyberbullying, provoked by intolerance towards cultural and religious diversity, identifying the profile of the aggressor and the victim. The study was carried out using the Delphi technique, exploratory factor analysis (EFA), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The selected sample was composed of 1478 adolescents, all students from Compulsory Secondary Education of Spain. The instrument items were extracted from relevant scales on the topic. The initial questionnaire was composed of 52 items and three underlying constructs. After validation with EFA (n = 723), the structure was checked, and the model was later corroborated with CFA (n = 755) through structural equations (RMSEA = 0.05, CFI = 0.826, TLI = 0.805). The reliability and internal consistency of the instrument were also tested, with values for all dimensions being higher than 0.8. It is concluded that this new questionnaire has 38 items and three dimensions. It has an acceptable validity and reliability, and can be used to diagnose cyberbullying caused by the non-acceptance of cultural and religious diversity in Compulsory Secondary Education students.

Highlights

In today’s society, the misuse of information and communications technology and its notoriety amongst youth has given rise to a considerable increase in cyberbullying, or electronic bullying, among these students (Olweus and Limber 2018)
Cyberbullying is currently present in Spanish schools; proof of this are the interventions against this type of violence that have taken place in the country
The objective of this research is to adapt and validate a useful instrument to diagnose cyberbullying promoted by intolerance towards cultural and religious diversity, identifying the profiles of the aggressor and the victim

Summary

Introduction

In today’s society, the misuse of information and communications technology and its notoriety amongst youth has given rise to a considerable increase in cyberbullying, or electronic bullying, among these students (Olweus and Limber 2018) This educational problem is characterized, according to Estévez et al (2018), as a type of abuse exercised through electronic means, with a negative intention of the aggressor towards the victim, durability over time, and a power imbalance between both parties given the greater technological control of the aggressors. Communication through digital devices and social networks establishes a world of fluid and almost permanent exchange, in which social interactions shift from personal to virtual relationships, with a series of advantages in terms of time and spatial availability that do not exist with traditional relationships (Romera et al 2016) These aspects are beneficial for the interactions of Spanish students, even though, as Fernández-Montalvo et al (2015) indicate, they are not exempt from certain risks, such as cyberbullying

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