The role of mood states in cyberbullying and cybervictimization behaviors in adolescents

The relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying behaviors: A moderated mediating model

Based on the General Strain Theory and the moderating role model of social support, the present study explored the relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying and further explored the mediating role of moral justification and the moderating role of online social support. This model was examined with 660 Chinese college students. Participants completed questionnaires regarding cyber upward social comparison, cyberbullying, moral justification, and online social support. After basic demographic variables were controlled, cyber upward social comparison was significantly and positively associated with cyberbullying. Moral justification played a mediating role in the relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying. The mediating effect of moral justification on the relationship between cyber upward social comparison and cyberbullying was moderated by online social support. The results of this study will provide references for the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying.

Fighting Bullying and Cyberbullying

The Internet's design and raison d'être are complete freedom, but complete freedom might lead to anarchy and to harmful and anti-social activities. In this paper I address the concepts of moral and social responsibility, applying them to the Internet realm in considering the most troubling phenomenon of cyberbullying that results in loss of life. Specifically, I probe the moral and social responsibilities of Internet users (agents), of parents and of the education system in fighting cyberbullying. Balance needs to be struck between two most important principles: freedom of expression and social responsibility. Illustrative examples in which this disturbing and harmful phenomenon of cyberbullying had cost young life are mentioned. It is argued that all relevant stakeholders need to think of the consequences of their conduct, that Internet abusers should be accountable for their wrongdoing and be penalized, and that people who have the ability to stop or at least reduce the risk of cyberbullying should take proactive steps, exhibiting zero tolerance to cyberbullying.

The other side of the screen: The impact of perspective-taking on adolescents' online communication

INTRODUCTION

In recent decades, adolescents' interactions with peers have increasingly transitioned online. While socially interactive technologies provide multiple avenues for positive communication between peers, adolescents may experience harmful online peer interactions, with such interactions negatively impacting their well-being. A paucity of work exists investigating how adolescents' characteristics are related to their communicative choices on social media and if such choices can be influenced by cues to consider a recipient. Addressing this gap, this work examines experimental manipulations of perspective-taking and individual differences in socio-cognitive skills as they relate to adolescents' communicative choices online.

METHOD

Within individual sessions, 12- to 15-year-old Canadian participants (N = 72, 36 girls) viewed pictures of other adolescents on a simulated social media app similar to Snapchat and chose between pre-written aggressive or prosocial comments to send to a recipient under three conditions: a perspective-taking cue, a time-delay, no delay. Participants also completed self-report questionnaires assessing emotion regulation and empathy.

RESULTS

Following perspective-taking cues, participants chose more prosocial comments to send compared to when participants were permitted to choose a comment immediately after viewing another adolescent's picture, while controlling for a brief time-delay. Adolescents' individual characteristics (i.e., Social Media Use, State Mood, Affective Empathy, Gender) were associated with their communicative choices online.

CONCLUSIONS

Findings from this work provide new insight into the ways adolescents navigate their complex and increasingly online peer interactions. Further, the results suggest that adolescents' social media communication is malleable with a brief perspective-taking cue to consider a recipient.