Electronic Bullying and Victimization and Life Satisfaction in Middle School Students

Abstract

This study examined the nature and prevalence of electronic bullying and victimization in a sample of middle school students in a southeastern USA school. Relationships among measures of electronic bullying and victimization and global and domain-specific life satisfaction were also investigated. A total of 855 7th and 8th grade US students responded to questions regarding global and domain-based life satisfaction, electronic bullying and victimization behaviors. Although a majority of students reported not engaging in or being the victim of electronic bullying, the small percentage of students who did report these behaviors as being problematic indicated that the behaviors occurred several times a week. Statistically significant correlates of electronic bullying were self-reported grades in school, gender, and parent marital status. Significant correlates of victimization were self-reported grades in school, parent marital status, and ethnicity. The results suggested modest, but pervasive relationships between experiences of electronic bullying and victimization and adolescents’ life satisfaction reports across a variety of important life domains. When the effects of demographic variables were controlled, the relationship between electronic victimization and global life satisfaction became non-significant, suggesting that global life satisfaction reports may mask the effects of specific life satisfaction domains.