Cyberbullying Prevention Program Research Articles

Associations Between Bystander Reactions to Cyberbullying and Victims' Emotional Experiences and Mental Health.

Bystanders in cyberbullying may play a crucial role in reducing cyberbullying's harm for victims. This study assessed bystander responses, and the associations with adolescent victims' emotional reactions to cyberbullying and victims' mental health outcomes (symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress; suicidal ideation). A total of 1037 adolescents (49.8 percent female, mean age = 15.17 years) participated in the cross-sectional study and filled out an anonymous questionnaire. Victimization was measured with a single-item scale (cybervictims) and a multiple-item scale with cyberbullying examples (youth experiencing offensive practices). Associations of positive (e.g., defending) and negative (e.g., ignoring) bystander responses with victims' emotions (8 types of emotions rated on 5-point Likert scale) were assessed through correlations; and with victims' mental health outcomes (Depression, Anxiety, Stress Scale [DASS-21], single item for suicidal ideation) using regression analyses, adjusting for the influence of gender and coping styles (KIDCOPE). Cybervictims (single-item scale) showed more victimization experiences, and more negative emotional and mental health outcomes than youth only experiencing offensive practices. Negative bystander responses predicted some mental health outcomes among cybervictims, but not among youth only experiencing offensive practices. Positive bystander behavior did not predict any mental health outcome. There is a clear need for cyberbullying prevention programs to include components that target bystander responses, to alleviate victims' emotional and mental health harm after cyberbullying. Attention is needed to create effective programs to reduce negative bystander behavior, while most current programs are focused on positive bystander behavior.

Effect of a Cyber-Bullying Prevention Program "Media Heroes" on Knowledge and Self-Perception among Adolescents in Port Said Governorate

Effect of a Cyber-Bullying Prevention Program "Media Heroes" on Knowledge and Self-Perception among Adolescents in Port Said Governorate

Cyberbullying in Pakistan: Positioning the Aggressor, Victim, and Bystander

This study explores cyberbullying prevalence, causes, reasons, and preventive measures from the perspective of victims and bystanders. The data were gathered from 329 male and female students of different age groups through an open-ended questionnaire and cyberbullying confession pages. Constructivist thematic framework was applied to look for commonly emerging patterns in the data. The study revealed that the likelihood to become a victim to cyberbullying decreased with an increase in age. However, there was no association between gender and cyberbullying. The study showed that various linguistic resources were exploited by the aggressors to victimize the participants. However, being sophomoric users of social media sites and having offline disputes were the core reasons of cyberbullying among a majority of victims. The participants valued the support of parents and friends, and showed faith in the preventive measures taken by educational institutes and Federal Investigation Agency, Pakistan against cyberbullying assaults. Findings from this study contribute to the research on cyberbullying, which is still in its infancy in Pakistan and may help in formulating cyberbullying prevention program.

Cyberbullying Victimization and Perpetration, Connectedness, and Monitoring of Online Activities: Protection from Parental Figures

Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration are associated with poor mental health outcomes for adolescents, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicide ideation. Although most cyberbullying occurs at home, few interventions have been developed for parents of adolescents. We examined parental connectedness and parental online monitoring in relation to cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, with the goal of understanding how parents buffer young teens from involvement in cyberbullying. We leveraged data from an existing study involving three racially and ethnically diverse middle schools in a metropolitan area in the Midwest of the U.S. (n = 570). In the spring of sixth grade, students reported on cyberbullying involvement, parental connectedness, and parental monitoring. Greater parental connectedness was related to a lower likelihood of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration in logistic regression models. Parental monitoring of online activities was not related to cyberbullying victimization but was marginally related to a lower likelihood of cyberbullying perpetration. Results suggest that cyberbullying prevention programs should consider ways to foster parent/youth connectedness.

Efficacy of Cyberbullying Prevention on Somatic Symptoms-Randomized Controlled Trial Applying a Reasoned Action Approach.

The theory of reasoned action (ToRA) has been proposed as a framework for cyberbullying prevention design, targeting attitudes and norms. In this study effects of a long (10 weekly sessions) and a short (one day, four sessions) cyberbullying prevention program based on the ToRA were compared with a control group over 9 months. Longitudinal data from 722 students (mean age=13.36) on cyberbullying, somatic symptoms, attitudes, and norms were analyzed within a structural equationmodel. Participation in the long intervention group significantly reduced cyberbullying (d=-0.584) and somatic symptoms (d=-0.316). No between-group differences emerged for attitudes and norms. Developmental trajectories and associations were found to be as suggested by ToRA in both cross-sectional and change-score analyses.

Multidimensional Social Competence, Motivation, and Cyberbullying: A Cultural Approach With Colombian and Spanish Adolescents

International research on the risk and protective factors of cyberbullying focus on individual personality variables and the use of technological devices. However, it is necessary to examine in greater depth the interpersonal context as a factor that may influence cyberbullying and the possible differences between cultures. The objective of this article was to analyze the relationship of influence of two interpersonal variables, multidimensional social competence and social motivation, on cyberaggression and cybervictimization through a cultural study of Spain and Colombia, which will permit generalizing the influence of interpersonal variables on cyberbullying in different cultural settings. The sample consisted of 3,830 secondary school students (50.4% Colombian and 49.6% Spanish). Self-reporting measurement instruments validated with different European samples were used. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and structural equation modeling (SEM) were performed. A model of mutual influence revealing the inverse relationship of normative adjustment and the direct relationship of popularity goals in cyberaggression was obtained. Cybervictimization was explained by the direct influence of prosocial behaviors and avoidance goals and the inverse influence of perceived social efficacy, development goals, and social and normative adjustment. As conclusion, this study demonstrates the homogeneity of the Colombian and Spanish models and the important role that the face-to-face context plays in cyberbullying involvement. This article highlights and supports the design of cyberbullying prevention programs, which requires the inclusion of multidimensional social competence and social goals.

Cyberbullying among children and adolescents – an overview on epidemiological studies and effective preventive programs

Bullying is defined as repeated aggressive behavior (Kowalski & Limber, 2007; Olweus, 1993, and as such has been recognized as a significant social issue. Furthermore, we know that the incidence of bullying behaviors increases with the students’ age (Cassidy, Jackson & Brown, 2009; Green-Forde, 2014; Kowalski & Limber, 2007). Cyber bullying, electronic/ online bullying, or online social cruelty is, according to Kowalski & Limber (2007), a relatively new kind of bullying through email, instant messaging, chat room exchanges, digital messages etc. (Kowalski et al, 2012). The goal of this paper is to give an overview of epidemiological studies and effective cyberbullying prevention aimed at children and adolescents. Some authors state that a student is cyberbullied if it happens two or three times a month, while others suggest that a frequency of once or twice a month is sufficient for the existence of the phenomenon (Olweus, 2012a; Hinduja & Patchin, 2012; Menesini, 2012; Kowalski & Limber, 2007). This difference between these threshold is what accounts for the discrepancies found in the data and results of various studies. Thus, we may talk about 4,5% to 24% of cyberbullied children, as in various international studies. Croatian data are similar, with 4,9 % to 29% of cyberbullied students, depending of the definition (Child Protection Center Zagreb, 2013; Zadravec et al., 2014.; Pregrad et al., 2011). The physical and psychological health, and academic performance in the context of bullying and cyberbullying are sometimes similar (Kowalski & Limber, 2013). Social cognitive theory and media effects model are a theoretical framework used to identify main categories which could explain cyberbullying, noting the following: individual factors, family, school, peers and media (Felson, 1996). Cyberbullying behaviors are connected to perception problems, hyperactivity, anger, aggression, problems of behavior control, low sociability, feeling of revenge and feeling unsecure at school (Sourander et al., 2010; Nixon, 2014). School-based intervention/ prevention programs for traditional bullying are often successful and could be used in modified forms for cyberbullying prevention programs (Ttofi & Farrington, 2011 in Slonje, Smith & Frisen, 2013). In Croatia, several preventive programs are being implemented, aimed at bullying in schools, designed for implementation in local communities and financed by local governments or the national administration (Zadravec et al., 2014). These cyberbullying programs are still not, though they should be, part of some broader anti-bullying programs. The aim of conducting effective preventive programs, including cyberbullying interventions, is to decrease bullying and cyberbullying in schools and improve the school climate. The goal is also to reduce students’ hyperactivity, anger, aggression and problems of behavior control and initiate better self-efficacy.

Effects of the cyberbullying prevention program media heroes (Medienhelden) on traditional bullying.

There is considerable debate over whether cyberbullying is just another form of bullying, or whether it is a problem distinct enough to require specific intervention. One way to explore this issue is to analyze whether programs designed to prevent traditional bullying help prevent cyberbullying, and whether programs designed to prevent cyberbullying prevent traditional bullying. The main goal of the current study was to analyze the spillover effects of the cyberbullying prevention program Media Heroes (Medienhelden) on traditional bullying. Media Heroes promotes empathy, knowledge of risks and consequences, and strategies that allow bystanders to defend victims from cyberbullying. Mixed ANOVAs were conducted comparing pretest and post-test (6 months after intervention) measures of 722 students (ages 11-17) assigned to a long (15 sessions) intervention, a short (1 day) intervention, and a control group. In addition to confirming the previously reported effects on cyberbullying, Media Heroes was found to reduce traditional bullying. Effects were larger for the long-version of the program than for the short 1-day version. No effects were found on victimization by either cyberbullying or traditional bullying. Strategies to complement traditional and cyberbullying prevention efforts are discussed. Aggr. Behav. 42:157-165, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Influencia del clima escolar y familiar en adolescentes, víctimas de ciberacoso

Cyberbullying is a phenomenon of growing social concern that affects an increasing number of children and adolescents from all the developed countries. Although there is a large body of literature on the relationships between school bullying and the family and school contexts, few studies have examined the influence of these social environments on the problem of cyberbullying. Using a quantitative methodology, the main objective of this study was to analyse the influence of the school and family contexts on victims of cyberbullying. The sample consisted of 1,062 Spanish adolescents (51.5% boys and 48.5% girls) from 11 to 18 years old (M=14.5; SD=1.62). Three comparison groups were formed: severe cyberbullying victims, moderate cyberbullying victims, and non-victims of cyberbullying. The results of the analysis of variance indicated that severe cyberbullying victims, compared to non-victims, scored significantly higher on family conflict and obtained lower scores on the remaining family (family self-concept, cohesion and expressive¬ness) and school (involvement, affiliation, and teacher support) variables considered in the study. Regression analyses revealed that academic and family self-concept and some dimensions of family and school climate predict cyber-victimization in adolescence. These new results point to the importance of including the family and the school in cyberbullying prevention programs.El ciberacoso es un fenómeno de creciente preocupación social que afecta cada vez más a niños y adolescentes de todos los países desarrollados. A diferencia de la considerable literatura que hay sobre las relaciones entre el acoso escolar y el contexto familiar y escolar, todavía hay pocos trabajos sobre la influencia de estos entornos sociales en el problema del ciberacoso. Mediante una metodología cuantitativa, el objetivo principal del presente estudio fue analizar la influencia del contexto escolar y familiar en víctimas de ciberacoso. La muestra estuvo formada por 1.062 adolescentes (51,5% chicos y 48,5% chicas), de edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 18 años (M=14,5; DT=1,62). Se establecieron tres grupos de contraste: cibervíctimas severas, cibervíctimas moderadas y no víctimas de ciberacoso. Los resultados del análisis de varianza indicaron que las cibervíctimas severas en comparación con las no víctimas puntúan significativamente más alto en conflicto familiar y obtienen puntuaciones más bajas en el resto de variables familiares (autoestima familiar, cohesión y expresividad), y variables escolares (implicación, afiliación y ayuda al profesor), consideradas en el estudio. Los análisis de regresión revelaron que la autoestima académica y familiar y algunas dimensiones del clima familiar y escolar predicen la cibervictimización en la adolescencia. Estos novedosos resultados muestran la importancia de incluir a la familia y a la escuela en los programas de prevención del ciberacoso.

Cultivating positive social interactions through a web-based cyberbullying prevention program

Cyberbullying has been identified as a critical issue in education and a hurdle for the successful widespread adoption of social media in schools. Although a number of programs dedicated to the prevention and intervention of traditional bullying have been developed and evaluated, there is a dearth of information available regarding the components necessary for similar programs to address cyberbullying. Research of cyberbullying has been limited to describing the characteristics of the bully and the consequences for the victim. This article presents the development and evaluation of an innovative web-based program for middle school children to prevent cyberbullying.

Cultivating positive social interactions through a web-based cyberbullying prevention program

Cultivating positive social interactions through a web-based cyberbullying prevention program

Evaluation of a University-based Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention Program

Evaluation of a University-based Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention Program

Evaluation of A University-Based Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention Program

Evaluation of A University-Based Bullying and Cyberbullying Prevention Program

Reducing cyberbullying: A theory of reasoned action‐based video prevention program for college students

Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of cyberbullying prevention/intervention programs. The goals of the present study were to develop a Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA)-based video program to increase cyberbullying knowledge (1) and empathy toward cyberbullying victims (2), reduce favorable attitudes toward cyberbullying (3), decrease positive injunctive (4) and descriptive norms about cyberbullying (5), and reduce cyberbullying intentions (6) and cyberbullying behavior (7). One hundred sixty-seven college students were randomly assigned to an online video cyberbullying prevention program or an assessment-only control group. Immediately following the program, attitudes and injunctive norms for all four types of cyberbullying behavior (i.e., unwanted contact, malice, deception, and public humiliation), descriptive norms for malice and public humiliation, empathy toward victims of malice and deception, and cyberbullying knowledge significantly improved in the experimental group. At one-month follow-up, malice and public humiliation behavior, favorable attitudes toward unwanted contact, deception, and public humiliation, and injunctive norms for public humiliation were significantly lower in the experimental than the control group. Cyberbullying knowledge was significantly higher in the experimental than the control group. These findings demonstrate a brief cyberbullying video is capable of improving, at one-month follow-up, cyberbullying knowledge, cyberbullying perpetration behavior, and TRA constructs known to predict cyberbullying perpetration. Considering the low cost and ease with which a video-based prevention/intervention program can be delivered, this type of approach should be considered to reduce cyberbullying.

When Cyberbullying and Bullying Meet Gaming: A systemic Review of the Literature

Bullying is an increasingly growing concern among children and adolescents; with the technology advances, youth has found more efficient ways to inflict harm to others via cyberbullying. The media is a relentless source for blaming violent video games as the ‘cause’ of bullying and cyberbullying. Despite this vast amount of research in all three individual areas, namely bullying, cyberbullying, and gaming, there is little research reviewing the connections between them. This study, therefore, systematically reviews the literature exploring the interconnectedness of these areas with a specific focus on how gaming interacts with cyberbullying and bullying. In addition, it creates a model grounded in enactivism to help us identify future areas of research and develop effective cyberbullying prevention programs. Specifically, we conducted a literature search across 40 research databases to include, but not limited to PsycINFO, ERIC, Psycarticles, Teacher Reference Center, and Computer Science Index. Grounded in enactivism, we proposed the Enactivist Model of Cyberbullying, Bullying and Gaming, which suggests that the exploration of cyberbullying and bullying in relation to gaming should be conducted in a holistic fashion rather than limiting the focus on individuals’ aggressive behavior. The model also provided a framework not only to make sense of but also to present the existing literature.

Risk Factors Associated with Impact Severity of Cyberbullying Victimization: A Qualitative Study of Adolescent Online Social Networking

Cyberbullying victimization is associated with a range of emotional and behavioral outcomes for adolescents. However, previous research has shown that this type of victimization does not affect all individuals negatively. The factors that account for individual differences in reactions to the same online experiences are not well understood. Using a qualitative inductive approach, a set of strong themes relating to factors that either increased the severity of impact of cyberbullying victimization or buffered victims against the impact emerged from interviews with 25 adolescents aged 15-24 years. Themes related to publicity, anonymity of perpetrators, features of the medium, presence of bystanders, and individual level factors were identified as potential influences upon impact severity. The implications of these results for further research and for school/university cyberbullying prevention programs for victims, perpetrators, and bystanders are discussed.

Segmenting Patients and Physicians Using Preferences from Discrete Choice Experiments

People often form groups or segments that have similar interests and needs and seek similar benefits from health providers. Health organizations need to understand whether the same health treatments, prevention programs, services, and products should be applied to everyone in the relevant population or whether different treatments need to be provided to each of several segments that are relatively homogeneous internally but heterogeneous among segments. Our objective was to explain the purposes, benefits, and methods of segmentation for health organizations, and to illustrate the process of segmenting health populations based on preference coefficients from a discrete choice conjoint experiment (DCE) using an example study of prevention of cyberbullying among university students. We followed a two-level procedure for investigating segmentation incorporating several methods for forming segments in Level 1 using DCE preference coefficients and testing their quality, reproducibility, and usability by health decision makers. Covariates (demographic, behavioral, lifestyle, and health state variables) were included in Level 2 to further evaluate quality and to support the scoring of large databases and developing typing tools for assigning those in the relevant population, but not in the sample, to the segments. Several segmentation solution candidates were found during the Level 1 analysis, and the relationship of the preference coefficients to the segments was investigated using predictive methods. Those segmentations were tested for their quality and reproducibility and three were found to be very close in quality. While one seemed better than others in the Level 1 analysis, another was very similar in quality and proved ultimately better in predicting segment membership using covariates in Level 2. The two segments in the final solution were profiled for attributes that would support the development and acceptance of cyberbullying prevention programs among university students. Those segments were very different-where one wanted substantial penalties against cyberbullies and were willing to devote time to a prevention program, while the other felt no need to be involved in prevention and wanted only minor penalties. Segmentation recognizes key differences in why patients and physicians prefer different health programs and treatments. A viable segmentation solution may lead to adapting prevention programs and treatments for each targeted segment and/or to educating and communicating to better inform those in each segment of the program/treatment benefits. Segment members' revealed preferences showing behavioral changes provide the ultimate basis for evaluating the segmentation benefits to the health organization.

Prevention 2.0: Targeting Cyberbullying @ School

Although cyberbullying is characterized by worrying prevalence rates and associated with a broad range of detrimental consequences, there is a lack of scientifically based and evaluated preventive strategies. Therefore, the present study introduces a theory-based cyberbullying prevention program (Media Heroes; German original: Medienhelden) and evaluates its effectiveness. In a pretest-posttest design (9-month interval), schools were asked to randomly assign their participating classes to either control or intervention group. Longitudinal data were available from 593 middle school students (M Age = 13.3 years, 53 % girls) out of 35 classes, who provided information on cyberbullying behavior as well as socio-demographic and psychosocial variables. While the present results revealed worrying prevalence rates of cyberbullying in middle school, multilevel analyses clearly demonstrate the program's effectiveness in reducing cyberbullying behavior within intervention classes in contrast to classes of the control group. Hence, this study presents a promising program which evidentially prevents cyberbullying in schools.

Knowing, Building and Living Together on Internet and Social Networks: The ConRed Cyberbullying Prevention Program

An evaluation of the success of the evidence-based ConRed program, which addresses cyberbullying and other emerging problems linked with the use of the internet and seeks to promote a positive use of this new environment. The main aims of the ConRed program are a) to improve perceived control over information on the internet, b) to reduce the time dedicated to digital device usage, and c) to prevent and reduce cyberbullying. The impact of the program was evaluated with a quasi-experimental design with a sample of 893 students (595 experimental and 298 control). The results of the mixed repeated measures ANOVAs demonstrate that ConRed contributes to reducing cyberbullying and cyber-dependence, to adjusting the perception of information control, and to increasing the perception of safety at school.

Recommended Practices: A Review of Schoolwide Preventative Programs and Strategies on Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a growing concern among school-age students. The combination of increased access, ease, and use of Web-based communication are part of what attributes to the problem. Cyberbullying affects not only students, but also parents and administrators. Because schools have the ability to reach all groups involved, it may be practical for schools to implement preventive and support ongoing efforts to address the concern. Research shows that prevention programs focused at the school level will have the strongest effect. By implementing a consistent schoolwide approach to cyberbullying, it is hopeful that the benefits will carry through a student's academic career and beyond. This article reviews recent research and Web-based resources on existing programs and makes recommendations for schools to develop their own cyberbullying prevention program.