Factors influencing South Korean early Adolescents’ cyber aggression

Abstract

Since 2018, juvenile cyberbullying has outpaced physical violence in terms of prevalence, making it a critical social concern. This study examined factors influencing early adolescents’ cyber aggression, which include demographic characteristics (child-related and parent-related variables), psycho-emotional state, problematic smartphone use, offline violence, and parent-related factors (parenting styles and time spent on parent–child communication). The data were extracted from the 2018 Korean Children and Youth Panel Survey (KCYPS). Participants comprised 2,590 South Korean middle school students aged 13 years old. The data was analyzed with SPSS 22.0. Descriptive statistics, including means, standard deviations, and Cronbach’s alpha, Pearson’s correlation analysis, and binomial logistic regression were computed. As a consequence, males have a greater likelihood of cyber aggression than females. Additionally, offline violence was discovered to be the strongest determinant of cyber aggression. Early adolescents’ depression and inconsistent parenting styles were found to be connected with a higher risk of cyber aggression. These results highlight the importance of a comprehensive strategy for understanding and addressing cyber aggression, which takes into account both individual factors as well as contextual aspects. This study not only validated prior research findings, but also illuminated the subtle complexity underlying the incidence of cyber violence during this formative time.