The hidden link under gender differences: How violence exposure fuels adolescents' cyber aggression through negative rumination.

Previous research comparing different large-scale cross-national surveys has shown substantial discrepancies in (cyber)bullying and (cyber)victimization rates within countries. This study hypothesized that systematic differences in bullying definitions might explain these discrepancies. Prevalence rates of bullying, victimization, cyberbullying and cybervictimization of two large-scale surveys, EU Kids Online (EUKO) and Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) that used two types of bullying definitions were compared using data from 123,206 students (aged 10–16 years) in 19 overlapping countries. Contrary to our hypotheses, multilevel Bayesian logistic regression analyses in Mplus and Bayes factor calculations in R showed no evidence of systematic differences in prevalence rates between EUKO and HBSC within countries, either before or after statistically controlling for sample characteristics and study features. Instead, prevalence rates generated by EUKO and HBSC varied unsystematically within countries, highlighting that within country differences produced by EUKO and HBSC should be interpreted with great caution.

Breakups often trigger psychological conflict ranging from stress, anxiety, depression, to risky behavior that have an impact on individual well-being and the social environment. This study explores the role of law in preventing, responding to, and recovering such psychological impacts through an interdisciplinary approach. The methodology used is a normative-juridical study combined with a literature review of clinical psychology and mental health policy. The findings show that the legal framework can function on three levels: (1) preventive, through the guarantee of the right to mental health, digital literacy, and platform governance to prevent post-breakup online harassment; (2) protective, through victim protection mechanisms against psychological violence, stalking, doxing, and the dissemination of non-consensual intimate content; and (3) curative, with a referral scheme for counseling services, the provision of legal aid, data confidentiality guarantees, and restorative justice instruments centered on victim recovery. However, there are implementation gaps, including the lack of standardization of psychological assessments in the legal process, limited access to services at the grassroots level, and coordination between institutions that are not optimal. This article recommends the integration of mental health protocols in the law enforcement process, evidentiary guidelines for psychological violence, as well as cross-sectoral collaboration with psychological service providers and digital platforms. The main contribution of this study is the mapping of a comprehensive legal intervention framework for post-breakup psychological conflicts.

In the digital era, cyber aggression among adolescents has become increasingly prominent, yet its developmental mechanisms remain unclear. Guided by the General Aggression Model and the Social Information Processing Model, this study investigates the longitudinal associations and potential mediating effects among violence exposure, negative rumination, and cyber aggression. A two-wave longitudinal survey was conducted with a 6-month interval among 1758 Chinese middle school students (Mage = 15.43 ± 2.23 years; 57.91% female). Participants completed self-reported questionnaires on violence exposure, negative rumination, and cyber aggression. Cross-lagged panel models and mediation analyses were employed to examine reciprocal and indirect effects. Results indicated significant bidirectional associations between violence exposure and cyber aggression, as well as between violence exposure and negative rumination. Negative rumination unidirectionally predicted later cyber aggression. Longitudinal mediation analysis further revealed that negative rumination partially mediated the link between prior violence exposure and subsequent cyber aggression. This study is the first to reveal a dynamic reciprocal structure among violence exposure, rumination, and cyber aggression using a cross-lagged panel design. Findings suggest that violence exposure contributes to cyber aggression both directly and indirectly via cognitive-emotional processes. The results offer a theoretical framework and time-sensitive window for cyber aggression prevention in Chinese adolescents.

India’s swift march towards digitalisation has profoundly altered the way, the society functions; shaping how people interact with each other, manage finances, access healthcare, and communicate with one another. Digital governance platforms, online banking systems, telemedicine services, and social media networks have become integral to everyday life, blurring the boundaries between physical and virtual spaces. Yet this rapid digital expansion has also brought with it a growing exposure to cybersecurity risks, that cannot be understood or accepted as merely technical failures. Rising incidents of cybercrime, data leaks, misinformation, digital surveillance, and online abuse reveal underlying social faulty lines, including unequal access to digital resources, patterns of risky online behaviour, and institutional gaps in preparedness and accountability. This article contends that responding effectively to cybersecurity challenges in India demands more than technological upgrades or flexible regulatory frameworks. It requires a deeper sociological engagement with awareness to the masses, how people perceive risk, place trust in digital systems, negotiate power within online spaces, and experience vulnerability in unequal social contexts. Through a sociological lens, the paper explores the role of digital divides, trust erosion, gendered exposure to cyber harms, organisational cultures, and governance mechanisms in shaping India’s cybersecurity environment. It ultimately argues for a holistic socio-technical approach—one that integrates cybersecurity with social awareness, ethical institutions, and participatory governance, to strengthen India’s ability to protect its cyberspace amid an ever-evolving digital landscape.

This study aims to evaluate the content quality and informational reliability of YouTube videos focusing on the effects of cyberbullying on children’s mental health and quality of life. The research investigates how such videos represent cyberbullying and to what extent they offer accurate, developmentally appropriate information.A total of 40 Turkish-language YouTube videos were selected using the keywords “cyberbullying” and “cyberbullying and children,” applying specific inclusion and exclusion criteria. The videos were evaluated using the Modified DISCERN Scale for credibility and the Global Quality Scale (GQS) for content usefulness. Descriptive statistics, Kruskal-Wallis tests, and Spearman correlation analyses were performed using SPSS 25.0.The findings revealed that the overall quality of videos is heterogeneous, with only half meeting high-quality standards. Videos uploaded by health professionals tended to score higher, but this was not statistically significant. No strong correlation was observed between video popularity (views, likes) and content quality. The study highlights the importance of promoting media literacy and involving experts in producing child-appropriate digital content to mitigate the risks of misinformation and enhance safe digital engagement for children.

ABSTRACT The increasing prevalence of cyberbullying alongside school bullying has raised significant concerns, prompting a deeper examination of their interconnected dynamics. This study aims to investigate the impact of outsider behavior in school bullying on the perpetration of cyberbullying, as well as the mediating roles of anxiety and moral disengagement. This study surveyed 705 young students from schools in China, with an average age of 21.66 years (SD = 1.97), using the Bullying Participant Behavior Questionnaire, the Cyber Aggression Involvement Scale, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, and the Moral Disengagement Scale. Of these participants, 346 (49.08%) were male, and 359 (50.92%) were female. The results reveal that school bullying outsider behavior significantly predicts cyberbullying perpetration behavior. Additionally, anxiety and moral disengagement partially mediate the relationship between school bullying outsider behavior and cyberbullying perpetration behavior. Furthermore, anxiety and moral disengagement play chain mediating roles in the pathway from school bullying outsider behavior to cyberbullying perpetration behavior. The results suggest that future cyberbullying prevention programs should prioritize individuals who exhibit outsider behavior in school bullying to prevent a significant increase in cyberbullying perpetrators, which could otherwise lead to the widespread proliferation of cyberbullying.

This research investigates strategies and challenges in handling cases of sexual harassment violations on social media. In an increasingly complex context and widespread use of social media, the protection of victims of sexual harassment becomes an increasingly urgent priority. This research highlights the importance of awareness and education among social media users to identify, report, and prevent sexual harassment online. This research uses a qualitative literature study method by exploring relevant theories, concepts and legal regulations. The aim of this research is to understand the obstacles faced by law enforcement in handling cases of sexual harassment on social media and to find solutions to increase the effectiveness of law enforcement in this case. The findings show that despite platform policies and algorithms, limitations in identifying and removing infringing content remain an obstacle. Effective collaboration between the government, law enforcement agencies and social media platforms is crucial in handling these cases. Victim protection is also a major focus, with an emphasis on improving support systems and psychological recovery. Comprehensive socialization regarding laws related to sexual harassment and sanctions for violators is expected to increase public awareness and encourage cooperation in eradicating sexual crimes, both in the surrounding environment and on social media.

In Morocco, women face significant barriers to leadership due to entrenched gender norms. However, digital media offers new opportunities to challenge these norms and promote women’s leadership. This study evaluates the impact of digital media on women’s leadership advancement, exploring how female leaders use it to overcome traditional obstacles. Through qualitative interviews, the research examines the challenges women leaders face and the importance of visibility in exerting influence online. Findings reveal that media visibility is crucial for challenging stereotypes, showcasing leadership abilities, and inspiring other women to pursue leadership roles. The study also highlights challenges like online harassment, cultural pushback, and the need for organizational support.

College students’ cyber abuse experiences on social media platforms (SMPs) were investigated to disentangle the impact of various demographic factors on SMP experiences and perceptions in this specific population. This topic is important because of the potential social, emotional, and cognitive harm of cyber abuse to college students, particularly previously identified high-risk groups. Informed by Lifestyle Routine Activity Theory, 169 college students (ages 18-21 and 22-27 years) from diverse racial/ethnic backgrounds completed online surveys assessing their definitions of cyber abuse; factors and content affecting those definitions; their judgments of the relative abusiveness of various online behaviors; personal characteristics and behaviors they believe predispose users to becoming targets; and perceived effective responses to cyber abuse. Cyber abuse was predominantly defined as online harassment, but also as criticizing, flaming, and criminal use. Demographic differences emerged for factors and content classified as cyber abuse; abusiveness ratings of different behaviors; characteristics and behaviors predisposing users to victimization; and rankings for strategies to thwart cyber abuse. Findings illustrate both similarities in users’ experiences and stark contrasts across demographic characteristics. This study demonstrated that the cyber abuse experiences of 18- to 21-year-olds and 22- to 27-year-olds, men and women, and White and Non-white are not homogeneous. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Abstract The rapid expansion of digital technologies has transformed social interaction, education, and leisure among youth, while simultaneously creating new vulnerabilities to cybercrime. This study, titled “Cybersecurity and Juvenile Cyber-Delinquency: Sociological Insights into Youth Crime Prevention in Lucknow”, investigates the intersection of adolescent engagement with cyberspace and emerging patterns of delinquent behaviour in an urban Indian context. Drawing upon sociological theories of deviance, peer influence, cyber-culture and digital socialization, the research explores how structural factors such as family environment, educational institutions, peer networks, and socio-economic disparities shape juvenile involvement in cyber-delinquency. The study employs a mixed-methods approach, combining survey data from secondary school students in Lucknow with qualitative interviews of educators, law enforcement officials, and parents. Findings reveal that curiosity, peer pressure, and lack of digital literacy often drive youth toward activities such as hacking, online harassment, and identity misuse. Moreover, inadequate parental supervision and limited institutional awareness exacerbate risks. The paper highlights the dual role of cyberspace as both a site of empowerment and a domain of potential deviance. Preventive strategies are analysed through the lens of community policing, school-based digital literacy programs, and culturally sensitive awareness campaigns. The research underscores the importance of integrating sociological insights into cybersecurity frameworks, advocating for holistic interventions that combine technical safeguards with social education. By situating juvenile cyber-delinquency within the broader socio-cultural fabric of Lucknow, the study contributes to global debates on netiquettes, youth crime prevention in the digital age. Ultimately, it calls for collaborative efforts among families, schools, policymakers, and technology providers to foster responsible digital citizenship and mitigate the risks of juvenile cyber-offending. Keywords- Cyber-Culture, Cyber-Crime, Cyber-security, Juvenile Delinquency, Netiquettes

With the increasing use of generative AI tools to enhance engagement on social media platforms, we are beginning to see AI-generated content contributing to digital harms, including particularly online abuse. Drawing on digital ethnography case studies, this article investigates the emergence of AI-generated ‘rage bait’ content, a severe form of trolling attempting to invoke users into adversity and outrage. AI-generated rage bait differs from other rage baiting because no human actor is involved in its creation or initial distribution. Case study examples of rage bait posts generated by AI tools are analysed. The article theorises the cultural causality of AI-generated rage bait and other digital harms, discussing how AI tools draw on extant datasets, practices and norms to further embed rage in the digital ecology. The article discusses some of the cultural and policy implications of digital harms originating from AI generators and provides a roadmap for further study.

ABSTRACT Previous research has shown that women politicians are often subject to more incivility, hate speech, and sexualized abuse on social media. Until now, studies tend to analyze one platform, and there has been no research to establish whether these experiences are the same across different platforms. This study deploys a two-stage design to isolate a platform effect in online incivility and abuse. We selected 18 women politicians from a range of UK political parties because they shared identical posts across three platforms – Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We collected all identical posts and replies to them, across each platform. The replies were content analyzed for elements of incivility and legitimate criticism but also for support and respectful responses. Multi-level binary logistic models were run on these data to assess platform effect, controlling for party and whether the original post mentioned a gendered topic. The replies were then subject to a qualitative analysis. The results showed a clear platform effect with Twitter being the source of the majority of uncivil, insulting and othering replies to women politicians. Twitter posts also received the least support and the fewest polite messages. Conversely, Instagram appeared to be less hostile. The platform had more polite interaction and a high proportion of supportive responses, accounting for well over half of all supportive responses across the sample.

The rapid advancement of the Internet and information and communication technologies in the 21st century has reshaped criminal activities, introducing new challenges for legal systems worldwide. Governments face increasing pressure to develop cyber laws that effectively support law enforcement in combating cybercrime. Among these challenges, cyber aggression has emerged as a significant concern, particularly in Jordan and Hungary, where legalframeworks have undergone modifications to address evolving threats. This study provides a comparative analysis of the legal approaches to cyber aggression in both countries, examining the effectiveness of their implementation and enforcement in practice.

Cyberbullying refers to the intentional infliction of psychological or emotional harm through online communication. In Malaysia, legal responses have historically targeted improper use of digital platforms rather than the harmful conduct itself. The enactment of the Penal Code (Amendment) Act 2025 addresses this legislative gap by introducing specific offences dealing with online harassment and bullying that cause fear, alarm, or distress. This paper aims to evaluate whether the punitive sentencing approach introduced under the amended law is justified in addressing the nature and social impact of cyberbullying. It applies doctrinal legal analysis, supported by behavioral theories including symbolic interactionism, space transition theory, and social learning theory, to understand the motivation behind online aggression. A survey of 106 respondents further assesses public awareness of cyberbullying laws and perceptions of punishment. Preliminary findings reveal that cyberbullying often stems from misinterpretation and imitation of negative behavior. Notably, 20.8% of respondents were unaware that indirect participation online can constitute abetment, and many struggled to distinguish harmful behaviour from unlawful conduct. In addition, an interview with educators, parents, and working adults reinforced survey findings by highlighting that anonymity, emotional impulsiveness, and social influence contribute to cyberbullying and that legal enforcement alone is insufficient. Although Malaysia’s legal reforms are timely and necessary, sentencing must be supplemented with broader measures. It is recommended that punitive enforcement be integrated with education, counselling, and restorative practices, to address the underlying behavioural and psychological factors shaping online misconduct.

The increase of online hate speech, especially against women, has become a big problem in digital communication, especially in low-resource languages like Malayalam and in situations where English is mixed with other languages. This work examines the efficacy of synthetic data augmentation techniques—Machine Translation (MT), Masked Language Modeling (MLM), and Few-Shot Learning (FSL)—in enhancing hate speech identification inside Malayalam-English (Manglish) social media text. We use these three methodologies to improve transformer-based models like mBERT, BERT, and IndicBERT. Our experiments show that classification performance has improved a lot. For example, mBERT got an F1-score of 86.42%, but real data only got 81.24%. LIME's explainability research indicates that contextual clues, not just offending words on their own, are what make detection accurate. Also, synthetic data makes things more fair by cutting down on false positives and false negatives and makes models more broad by exposing them to a larger range of code-mixed expressions. The approach is effective, but it has certain drawbacks. For example, it may be hard to apply to other code-mixed languages or fields, and there are ethical issues with creating synthetic data. The results have practical consequences for implementing fairness-aware, transparent, and resilient hate speech detection algorithms on multilingual social media platforms. This is the first study we know of that looks into synergistic synthetic data augmentation for detecting hate speech that mixes languages, with the goal of reducing online harassment of women.

In recent years, Media and technology are the tools and channels used to communicate and share information. They are a vital part of modern communication and information dissemination. Social media is a way to communicate and share information online. It includes websites and apps that allow users to create content, share ideas, and interact with others. Social media has transformed human interactions, reshaping social behavior and personal identity. This paper explores the influence of social media on individual and group behavior, examining aspects such as online communication patterns, self-presentation, social validation, and psychological well-being. According to Worldwide Daily Social Media Usage (New 2024 Data) People are spending more time on their social media platforms than ever before. The average person spends 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media every day. Users will spend 4 trillion hours on social media this year. Now a day, Social media has completely changed how we engage, communicate, and get information. It has several benefits, including interacting with loved ones, networking, and sharing content and ideas on a platform. Nevertheless, there are drawbacks as well, such as issues with privacy, the dissemination of false information, and the possibility of cyber bullying. So, it is very important to overcome the drawback of social media by setting boundaries around its uses. However, this paper focuses on the overcoming the negative sides of social networking and how it can help in bringing the positive impact on social behaviour and formation of identity.

This study investigates the multidimensional factors that shape self-censorship among journalists in the context of online harassment, with particular emphasis on emotional and psychological reactions, professional adaptation mechanisms, and structural support. Drawing on survey data from nearly 3,000 Swedish journalists, the findings show that internalized emotional responses—especially health-related consequences and anticipated regret—are the most decisive predictors of precautionary restraint. While attributes such as professional pride and perceived internal strength offer partial protection, the normalization of harassment within journalistic culture—often framed as adaptation—appears to reinforce rather than mitigate self-censorship. Structural support shows mixed effects: perceived judicial protection is associated with reduced self-censorship, collegial support shows more modest protective associations, and employer support fails to show a significant relationship. These results indicate that self-censorship is not merely a professional strategy, but an affectively driven adjustment shaped by broader organizational and cultural conditions. The study contributes to emerging debates on digital hostility and democratic resilience by clarifying how emotional anticipation interacts with structural vulnerabilities to constrain editorial autonomy.

There is a worldwide mental health crisis. The WHO estimates that 1 in 7 children suffers from and is impaired by mental problems and disorders. There are epidemics of neurodevelopmental disorders, eating disorders, substance and behavioural addictions in youth. The suicide figures worldwide are shifting. A decrease of suicides in elder people especially men and increase in suicide in young people especially women. Social media have an enormous impact on youngsters, with obvious benefits but big backlashes too: screen- fear of missing out-addictions and a worry impact of cyber bullying! In this paper the necessity of mental health services adapting in a flexible way to the increasing demand and possibilities are highlighted including peer support by Emphasis is put on the appeal to (mental) healthcare workers to speak up and address the causes. Mental health should be a responsibility of all, especially politicians and decision makers.

Online harassment is shown to have democratic consequences by limiting freedom of expression, disrupting public discourse, reinforcing prejudice and hostility, and creating barriers for online participation. However, there has been less attention to how online harassment relates to trust, which is a key component of well-functioning democracies. This study investigates the relationship between experiences with online harassment and different forms of social and institutional (media and governmental) trust. The analyses utilize survey panel data from Denmark and Norway, two high-trust societies. Findings indicate that online harassment, especially group-based harassment, negatively correlates with all forms of trust, with the most significant panel effects observed on governmental trust and trust in social media (Facebook), which are both institutions that regulate speech. The study contributes to the research literature by shedding light on how various types of online harassment influence different aspects of trust.