Bullying-victimization problems and aggressive tendencies in Spanish secondary schools students: the role of gender stereotypical traits

The neurofunctional basis of human aggression varies by levels of femininity

Aggression can be categorized into reactive aggression (RA) and proactive aggression (PA) based on their underlying motivations. However, previous research has rarely identified the relationship between femininity and RA/PA, and there is a lack of understanding regarding the femininity-related neurofunctional basis of these aggressive behaviors. Thus, this study first examined the relationships between femininity and aggression, then explored the aggression-by-femininity interactions on the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations using resting-state fMRI among 705 university participants (mean age = 19.14 ± 0.99). The behavioral data indicated that femininity was more negatively associated with RA and PA when masculinity was controlled for. Additionally, the neural data revealed that femininity-specific relationships of RA in the left middle occipital gyrus (i.e. individuals with low femininity had positive relationships between RA and the left middle occipital gyrus, whereas those with high femininity had negative relationships) as well as of PA in the left middle frontal gyrus (i.e. individuals with high femininity showed significant negative relationships, whereas those with low femininity did not exhibit significant relationships). These findings reflect that individuals with varying levels of femininity exhibit distinct neural bases when expressing different subtypes of aggression, which are associated with societal expectations of gender.

Sibling and peer bullying victimization in adolescence: Masculinity, femininity, and the moderating role of sex and popularity

INTRODUCTION

We investigated whether gender-typed traits (masculinity and femininity) contemporaneously predicted self-reported peer victimization, peer-reported peer victimization, and sibling victimization. We also tested the moderating role of sex and popularity.

METHODS

A sample of 2782 British pupils aged 11-16 from Central England, UK was screened for bullying involvement and popularity using self-report and peer nominations, and a subsample of 704 (52.7% girls) completed a measure of gender-typed traits (masculinity and femininity).

RESULTS

Hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that low levels of masculine traits were associated with greater risk of self-reported peer victimization, there were no associations with peer-reported peer victimization, and low levels of feminine traits were associated with greater risk of self-reported sibling victimization. The effects were not moderated by sex, while popularity decreased the risk of self- and peer-reported peer victimization.

CONCLUSIONS

Bullying prevention interventions could benefit from including the positive facets of feminine and masculine traits.

Prevalence and determinants of school bullying in Qatar: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

School bullying is a wide-spread phenomenon that manifests in various forms. It has both short-term and long-term devastating consequences on physical, mental and social wellbeing. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including Qatar, has a relatively high prevalence of school bullying. This research aims at identifying the prevalence of bullying, particularly unsafe environments were bullying takes place, and its attributes at schools in Qatar.

METHODS

In a cross-sectional study, 980 students from 10 schools in Qatar completed an anonymous self-completion standardized questionnaire to assess the different aspects of bullying from school students' point of view.

RESULTS

The prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetration was found to be 41.0% and 31.7% among school students in Qatar, respectively. Classroom (67.5%) and hallways (64.8%) were the most frequently indicated environments of bullying whereas library was the least indicated one (28.3%). Verbal bullying was the most used type of bullying by students. Overall, students in Qatar believe that bullying is considerably a significant issue at their schools, yet schools are safe place for them to be in. Gender, age, ethnicity, school grade and years living in Qatar showed significant differences among the students.

CONCLUSION

School bullying is a serious, yet a manageable global problem. Our findings re-demonstrated the alarming high prevalence of school bullying in Qatar, highlighted student related and school related factors which have implications for future multidimensional action and research and recommended measures to foster safety at school.

Bullying and Self-Concept, Factors Affecting the Mental Health of School Adolescents

Bullying is an aggressive and repetitive behavior, where one person or several people physically, socially, or emotionally harm a vulnerable person and provokean imbalance of power in a school setting. Several factors such as age, sex, school performance, psychological factors, and ethnicity have been associated with bullying and more are being sought. Thus, the objectives of this study were as follows: (1) analyze the differences in bullying (victimization and aggression) and self-concept (academic, social, emotional, family, and physical) with respect to sex, school location, and educational level among Spanish adolescents; (2) explore the associations of bullying and self-concept with these sociodemographic dimensions. A cross-sectional study was designed with a total of 1155 participants (between 12 and 18 years old); there were 48.8% boys and 51.2% girls, where 75.9% studied compulsory secondary education (CSE) and 24.1% Baccalaureate, and 31.9% were students from rural schools and 68.1% were from urban schools. Medium and inverse correlations were shown between victimization and self-concept at the general level, for both sexes, both types of school, and both educational stages. For the aggression dimension, the correlations with self-concept were inverse at the general level (low), in girls (low), in rural students (medium), and in compulsory secondary education students (medium). For academic self-concept and family self-concept, the associations were medium and inverse with bullying in all variables. For emotional self-concept the correlation with bullying was direct and medium in all variables; in physical self-concept, the correlations with bullying were inverse in almost all variables except in boys. Self-concept may be a protective factor for bullying and interventions should aim at adolescents building a positive multidimensional self-concept that prevents and protects them from bullying either as aggressor or victim.

Troubling Secondary Victimization of Bullying Victims: The Role of Gender and Ethnicity

Bullying is a severe public health problem, and bystanders' reactions are a key variable in its perpetration and maintenance. This study aimed to assess the level of secondary victimization of bullying victims as a function of the student's sex and the victim's category (nonnormative vs. normative) in three experimental conditions (feminine, masculine, and ethnicity) from a socioecological perspective. Specifically, two dimensions of secondary victimization were evaluated: avoidance and devaluation/blaming of the victim. A sequence of mixed-design ANOVAs was performed with a sample of 553 Spanish (53.3%) and Portuguese (46.7%) students, aged between 14 and 19 years. Results show that nonnormative victims, those who transgress feminine and masculine gender stereotypes, and those who belong to a minority ethnic group (gypsies) are avoided more than normative victims; and that boys perpetrate more secondary victimization than girls. These results reveal the situation of vulnerability suffered by adolescents who transgress the gender norm as well as those who belong to minority ethnic groups, and highlight that the motivations concealed by the secondary victimization of bullying victims originate in the group processes of identity construction and categorization that configure the boundaries of "legitimacy" and are strongly influenced by social beliefs about normative and nonnormative identities. This socioecological approach could guide prevention strategies, so generic antibullying policies that do not explicitly address biases about gender, sexual, and cultural identity can be overcome to reduce the high levels of stigma occurring in the schools through critical and culturally responsive pedagogy.

Peer Victimization, Resilience and Mental Well-Being Among Left-Behind Children: Dose Gender Make a Difference?

This study explores how resilience mediates the association between peer victimization and mental well-being among left-behind children in the Chinese cultural context, and how gender groups differ in certain path. Data are collected from a random sample of 471 left-behind children from the City of Huai'an in mainland China. Results of this study shows that peer victimization is not only significantly and directly related, but also indirectly associated with children mental well-being through the intermediary mechanism of resilience. The theoretical model is applicable to both male and female left-behind children with no gender difference. The findings provide empirical support for the proposed theoretical framework that resilience plays a crucial mediator in the relationship between peer victimization and children mental well-being. Empirical evidence also shows that interventions focused on anti-bullying and cultivating resilience may be effective to improve children mental well-being.

Bullying and Attitudes Toward Masculinity in Croatian Schools: Behavioral and Emotional Characteristics of Students Who Bully Others

Prevention of bullying is paramount to creating a positive and welcoming school environment. This study compared the following characteristics reported by students who had perpetrated bullying in Croatian schools and those who did not: gender, type of school, family wealth, negative emotionality, behaviors that may compromise health, and endorsement of traditional masculinity. Within the framework of the "Croatian Adolescent Masculinity Study," second and third grade students of secondary schools (equivalent to tenth and eleventh grade in the United States) in the city of Zagreb (N = 4,072) completed a cross-sectional, paper-and-pencil survey. Descriptive and logistic regression analyses were conducted separately for males and females to identify constructs associated with bullying perpetration. More males (12.7%) than females (5.8%) perpetrated bullying. Compared to students who did not report bullying others, significantly more students, who perpetrated bullying reported feeling sad or hopeless, having suicidal ideation, carrying a weapon, missing school because of feeling unsafe, drinking alcohol, getting inebriated, being victims of bullying, and endorsing traditional masculinity norms. The proportion of males reporting bullying others did not vary by type of school; females were more likely to perpetrate bullying in predominantly male and mixed-gender vocational schools. Bullying prevention interventions should address the complexity of problems associated with bullying others. Students who reported bullying others were more likely to participate in other harmful behaviors and have emotional problems. Endorsement of traditional masculinity norms should be further researched in other cultures and included in investigations of bullying perpetration, given its association with increased bullying among male and female students.

The Role of Technologies, Behaviors, Gender, and Gender Stereotype Traits in Adolescents' Cyber Aggression

The present study focused on the impact of gender and gender stereotype traits (i.e., masculinity, femininity) on cyber aggression perpetration utilizing different technologies (i.e., social-networking sites, gaming consoles, mobile phones) and behaviors (i.e., cyber relational aggression, cyber verbal aggression, hacking). Participants included 233 eighth graders (108 female; M_age = 13.26, SD = 0.36) from two middle schools in the Midwestern United States. Adolescents completed questionnaires on their endorsement of masculinity and femininity traits as well as how often they engaged in cyber aggression perpetration (i.e., cyber relational aggression, cyber verbal aggression, hacking) through mobile phones, social-networking sites, and gaming consoles. Findings indicated that boys and girls with more feminine traits engaged in more cyber relational aggression through social-networking sites and mobile phones, while boys and girls who endorsed more masculine traits perpetrated this behavior and cyber verbal aggression more often through online gaming. In addition, these boys and girls engaged in more hacking through all technologies when compared with girls and boys who reported more feminine traits. Results of this study indicate the importance of delineating gender stereotype traits, behaviors, and technologies when examining cyber aggression perpetration.

Adolescents' Cyber Victimization: The Influence of Technologies, Gender, and Gender Stereotype Traits

The purpose of the present study was to investigate the role of gender and gender stereotype traits (masculinity, femininity) in cyber victimization behaviors (cyber relational victimization, cyber verbal victimization, hacking) through different technologies (mobile phones, gaming consoles, social networking sites). There were 456 8th graders (226 females; M age = 13.66, SD = 0.41) from two midwestern middle schools in the United States included in this study. They completed questionnaires on their endorsement of masculine and feminine traits, and self-reported cyber victimization through different technologies. The findings revealed main effects of types of cyber victimization for boys and of technology for girls. In particular, boys with feminine traits experienced the most victimization by cyber verbal aggression, cyber relational aggression, and hacking when compared to the other groups of boys. Girls with feminine traits experienced the most cyber victimization through social networking sites, gaming consoles, and mobile phones in comparison to the other groups of girls. For girls with feminine traits, they reported more cyber relational victimization and cyber verbal victimization through mobile phones and social networking sites, as well as more hacking via social networking sites. Such findings underscore the importance of considering gender stereotype traits, types of victimization, and technologies when examining cyber victimization.

Adolescents' perception of gender differences in bullying

Gender norms are normative societal expectations regarding the behaviors of girls and boys that can guide bullying behavior. As early adolescence is a time when peer relations become increasingly important, it is critical to understand the peer relationships of adolescents and what is considered gender non-confirming behavior. Therefore, the aim of this study is to analyze Swedish girls' and boys' perception of gender differences in bullying. Twenty-one Swedish adolescents (8 girls and 13 boys) took part in four focus group discussions separated by boys and girls. Data analysis was conducted using qualitative content analysis. "Expectations and needs to fit the norm" emerged as the main category as all categories emerging from the analysis related to boys' and girls' understandings of how expectations, strategies, expressions relating to bullying and the need to belong vary depending on gender. Further, girls and boys expressed admiration for each other's ways of coping with bullying indicating that also coping strategies are associated with expectations based on gender. For schools and adults to be better equipped to meet the needs of girls and boys and understand how these needs are expressed, adolescents voices regarding gender related bullying can be seen as helpful tools to develop strategies to work with gender norms and gender expectations. In light of the results of our study, schools may have work to do when it comes to the awareness of norms and attitudes and how they are expressed as these may be a foundation for bullying, among both staff and students.

Associations between Feminine Gender Norms and Cyber Dating Abuse in Female Adults

Gender norms and the co-occurrence of perpetration and victimization behaviors have been examined as key factors of female dating violence in offline contexts. However, these relationships have not been analyzed in digital environments. This is why the present study had a twofold objective: (1) exploring the co-occurrence nature of cyber dating abuse by examining to what extent victimization and perpetration overlap; (2) examining the associations between conformity to feminine gender norms and cyber dating abuse among female adults who are perpetrators or victims. The sample study included 1041 female university students (mean age = 20.51) from central Spain. The results indicated that 35.8% of the sample reported being a victim and a perpetrator of cyber dating abuse at the same time. Indeed, the hierarchical regression analyses revealed a close association between perpetration and victimization behaviors in both the direct and control forms of abuse examined. Our analyses did not reveal any significant associations between conformity to female gender norms and perpetration or victimization for any cyber dating abuse form examined. Our results are discussed in the light of previous research and after considering limitations, practical implications and future research directions.

Cyber Dating Abuse and Masculine Gender Norms in a Sample of Male Adults

Gender role norms have been widely studied in the offline partner violence context. Different studies have indicated that internalizing these norms was associated with dating violence. However, very few research works have analyzed this relation in forms of aggression against partners and former partners using information and communication technologies (ICT). The objective of the present study was to examine the co-occurrence of cyber dating abuse by analyzing the extent to which victimization and perpetration overlap, and by analyzing the differences according to conformity to the masculine gender norms between men who are perpetrators or victims of cyber dating abuse. The participants were 614 male university students, and 26.5% of the sample reported having been a victim and perpetrator of cyber dating abuse. Nonetheless, the regression analyses did not reveal any statistically significant association between conformity to masculine gender norms and practicing either perpetration or victimization by cyber dating abuse.

Diferencias por sexo en la intimidación escolar y la resiliencia en adolescentes

Resumen El objetivo de investigación es establecer las diferencias por sexo entre la intimidación escolar y la resiliencia en adolescentes de instituciones educativas públicas de Bogotá. Se realizó un diseño de investigación no experimental transversal descriptivo-comparativo, se seleccionaron 354 participantes con edades entre 12 y 18 años. Se aplicaron la Escala de Resiliencia (Wagnild & Young, 1993) y el Cuestionario de Intimidación Escolar Abreviado CIE - A (Moratto, Cárdenas, & Berbesí, 2012). Los resultados muestran que existen diferencias significativas entre hombres y mujeres en la manifestación de la intimidación escolar y en las consecuencias asociadas a la salud mental; con respecto a la resiliencia, se encontraron diferencias significativas en la ecuanimidad, entendida como la habilidad de responder de manera equilibrada ante eventos estresantes. Se concluye la necesidad de un abordaje diferencial de la intimidación escolar desde la resiliencia para la creación de programas que disminuyan el fenómeno.

The gender discrepancy in high-risk behaviour outcomes in adolescents who have experienced cyberbullying in Indonesia

OBJECTIVE

Adolescent cyberbullying and high-risk behaviour outcomes has been a major concern in the last few years. Gender discrepancy is an important component that predicts the outcomes. This study aimed to elaborate and identify the association between cyberbullying experience and high-risk behaviour outcomes based on gender differences among adolescents in Indonesia.

METHOD

A cross sectional study that involved junior and senior high schools in Jakarta. There were 2917 adolescents who took part in this study. The cyberbullying questionnaire was used to identify the cyberbullying experienced. High-risk behaviour included in this study was tobacco smoking, alcohol consumption, and self-harm behaviour. Chi-Square test and odds ratio analysis were applied through SPSS for Mac.

RESULTS

The highest proportion in this study was composed of adolescents of both genders who acted as victim/perpetrator (52.25%). Adolescent males who indulged in cyberbullying showed an increased risk for cigarette smoking (OR = 2.97); male adolescents who were victims and victim/perpetrator of cyberbullying had a higher risk to consume alcohol (OR = 2.96 & OR = 6.93). Meanwhile, the risk of self-hurting behaviour increased for both female and male with cyberbullying victimization (OR = 3.68 & OR = 2.97). Female adolescents who acted as victim/perpetrator had a higher risk of suicidal thoughts and attempting suicide (OR = 1.90 & OR = 2.11); and they were also at risk of consuming alcohol (OR = 2.84).

CONCLUSION

Cyberbullying returned negative impacts on both genders of adolescents. Boys showed a greater tendency to externalize while girls showed a greater tendency to internalize. Mental health promotion that is designed specifically for both genders might address the adolescents' needs.

The effects of the evidence-based Safe Dates dating abuse prevention program on other youth violence outcomes

In response to recent calls for programs that can prevent multiple types of youth violence, the current study examined whether Safe Dates, an evidence-based dating violence prevention program, was effective in preventing other forms of youth violence. Using data from the original Safe Dates randomized controlled trial, this study examined (1) the effectiveness of Safe Dates in preventing peer violence victimization and perpetration and school weapon carrying 1 year after the intervention phase was completed and (2) moderation of program effects by the sex or race/ethnicity of the adolescent. Ninety percent (n = 1,690) of the eighth and ninth graders who completed baseline questionnaires completed the 1-year follow-up assessment. The sample was 51 % female and 26 % minority (of whom 69 % was black and 31 % was of another minority race/ethnicity). There were no baseline treatment group differences in violence outcomes. Treatment condition was significantly associated with peer violence victimization and school weapon carrying at follow-up; there was 12 % less victimization and 31 % less weapon carrying among those exposed to Safe Dates than those among controls. Treatment condition was significantly associated with perpetration among the minority but not among white adolescents; there was 23 % less violence perpetration among minority adolescents exposed to Safe Dates than that among controls. The observed effect sizes were comparable with those of other universal school-based youth violence prevention programs. Implementing Safe Dates may be an efficient way of preventing multiple types of youth violence.

The involvement of girls and boys with bullying: an analysis of gender differences

This exploratory and cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of bullying in a group of students and analyze the data regarding the gender of those involved in the violence. A questionnaire adapted from Olweus was applied in seven elementary education schools in Portugal. The sample consisted of 387 students between 7 and 14 years old. Data are presented in terms of descriptive statistics and differences between proportions were analyzed using chi-square tests. The gender analysis of victimization and aggression shows that boys and girls are both victims and aggressors, and there are significant differences in involvement in bullying between genders and the roles played. Boys are victims more often when considering different types of bullying, although significant differences were only found for physical aggression. Strategies that include gender roles are a priority for prevention and careful attention to this phenomenon in the school context. The questions addressed contribute to a broader understanding of the phenomenon, emphasizing the differential participation of boys and girls in bullying.