The Differential Victimization Associated With Depression and Anxiety in Cross-Cultural Perspective: A Meta-Analysis

The Mediating Role of School Adaptation in the Impact of Adolescent Victimization from Bullying on Mental Health: A Gender Differences Perspective

Purpose

The primary aim of this study is to investigate the mediating role of school adaptation in the impact of adolescent bullying victimization on mental health, as well as the gender differences therein. These findings offer a novel perspective for parents and educators, aiding bullied adolescents in managing and addressing mental health concerns.

Methods

The primary data source for this study was the 2020/2021 Adolescent Health Theme Database from the China Population Health Data Center (PHDA). The research sample consisted of high school students from 16 cities in Shandong Province. Descriptive statistics, reliability and validity testing, structural equation modeling, as well as mediation analysis and multiple group analysis were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and AMOS 26.0.

Results

School adaptation serves as a mediating variable between adolescent bullying and mental health. The model fit indices are as follows: GFI=0.946, AGFI=0.922, RMSEA=0.070, NFI=0.978, IFI=0.979, CFI=0.97. Even when considering gender, the model still demonstrates good fit. School bullying has significant negative effects on the mental health of both male and female victims (p<0.05). For female victims, the mitigating effect of school adaptation on mental health is slightly lower than that for males (-2.256). Regarding cyberbullying, male victims face a greater threat to mental health (-3.234), with a impact of -0.109 from cyberbullying on male mental health and -0.065 from school bullying on female mental health.

Conclusion

The school is found to mediate between school bullying, cyberbullying, and mental health. Schools may play a greater role in improving female mental health than male mental health. The impact of campus bullying on female mental health is greater than that of cyberbullying, whereas the opposite is true for males. Enhancing adolescents' school adaptation levels helps mitigate the adverse effects of school and cyberbullying on adolescent mental health.

The Effect of Peer Victimization During Adolescence on Depression and Gender Differences: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Peer victimization during adolescence has a detrimental impact on the mental health of victims throughout their lives. However, it remains unclear whether these effects are gender-specific. The present study conducted a systematic review to examine the effects of peer victimization on depression status, explore potential sources of heterogeneity, and investigate gender differences in these effects. We systematically searched four electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, Embase, and CNKI) for relevant articles that published as far as July 2022. We then extracted odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) to assess the association between peer victimization during adolescence and depression, and potential gender differences in the relation. Meta-analysis was performed, using fixed effects models and random effects models, to evaluate the association between each exposure and the outcome. A meta-analysis of 27 studies revealed that peer victimization during adolescence was significantly associated with higher risks of depression (OR = 2.79, 95% CI [2.43, 3.21], p < .001). This finding was consistent across subgroup analyses. In particular, the effect of peer victimization during adolescence on depression was found to be more pronounced in studies conducted in Asia (OR = 3.06, 95% CI [2.38, 3.92], p < .001). Furthermore, five studies focused on gender differences demonstrated that peer victimization has a stronger association with the risk of depression in women (OR = 2.84, 95% CI [2.49, 3.26], p < .001). Peer victimization during adolescence is a significant risk factor for depression, with a greater impact on women and individuals residing in Asia. Further prospective studies are needed to investigate the relationship between peer victimization and depression.

Linking Daily Victimization to Daily Affect Among Adolescents: The Mediating Role of Sleep Quality and Disturbance

Bullying victimization is prevalent among adolescents and often linked to emotional problems. Prior studies have been focused on the concurrent or longitudinal associations between bullying victimization and emotional problems, but the daily associations and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Implementing daily diary method, the study aimed to examine the links between daily victimization and positive and negative affect as well as the mediating role of sleep quality and disturbance. A total of 265 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 11.65, SD = 0.74; 32.80% females) participated in this study and completed 7-day daily diaries on bullying victimization (traditional and cyber victimization), sleep quality and disturbance, and affect. As hypothesized, at the between-person level, sleep disturbance mediated the relationships between both traditional and cyber victimization and subsequent negative affect. At the within-person level, sleep quality mediated the pathway between traditional victimization and next-day negative affect; furthermore, sleep disturbance mediated the pathway between traditional victimization and positive affect the following day. These findings highlight the mediating roles of sleep quality and sleep disturbance in the relationships between stressful victimizing experiences and emotional problems and also provide novel insights into these associations.

Prevalence and nature of bullying in schoolchildren aged 10-14 years and its association with malocclusion: A cross-sectional study in the South East of the UK

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the prevalence of, and relationship between, bullying and malocclusion in schoolchildren aged 10-14 years in the South East of the UK.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional cohort study.

SETTING

Sixteen primary and secondary schools in South East of the UK.

PARTICIPANTS

Schoolchildren aged 10-14 years who were consented to participate.

METHODS

The prevalence and nature of bullying were measured using a questionnaire. Traits of malocclusion and the need for orthodontic treatment were assessed by clinical examination and determined by the Index of Orthodontic Treatment Need (IOTN) Dental Health (DHC) and Aesthetic components (AC).

RESULTS

Complete data were collected for 698 participants. The number defined as being bullied was 68 (9.7%). There was no difference in the prevalence of bullying between gender, ethnicity or age. Higher rates of bullying were reported in mixed sex schools (P = 0.03). Participants with an increased overjet (P = 0.02) and/or a greater need for treatment, as measured by IOTN DHC (P = 0.01) and AC (P = 0.01), reported higher rates of bullying. While there was no difference in the overall prevalence of bullying between genders, boys were more likely than girls to experience physical bullying (P <0.001) and being called names (P = 0.03).

CONCLUSION

A significant relationship was evident between being bullied and certain traits of malocclusion.

The Protective Roles of Self-Compassion and Parental Autonomy Support Against Depressive Symptoms in Peer-Victimized Chinese Adolescent Girls: A Longitudinal Study

Peer victimization (PV) is a common and serious problem in school contexts, which hinders adolescents' emotional development and social adaptation. The present study aimed to test the longitudinal relationship between PV and the increase of depressive symptoms (DSs) among Chinese mid-late adolescents using a two-wave longitudinal design and examine the buffering effects of self-compassion (SC) and parental autonomy support (PAS) on this relationship. A relatively large sample of Chinese high school students (N = 722, 52.1% boys; age at Time 2 = 16.23 years old, SD = 0.79) were surveyed annually at two time points. The results showed that PV at Time 1 positively predicted DSs at Time 2 after controlling for the DSs at Time 1. In addition, SC and PAS moderated the longitudinal relationship between PV and the development of DSs, while such moderating effects only existed in girls but not in boys. Specifically, the positive relationship between PV and DSs was non-significant among girls with higher levels of SC or PAS. Our findings highlighted that SC and PAS might be important protective factors buffering against DSs for victimized girls.

Parents' attitudes, perceptions and coping strategies regarding school bullying

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to record parents' knowledge and attitudes towards bullying experienced by their children and to explore the strategies they choose to manage bullying incidents.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted. The study population consisted of parents of children who have experienced bullying in a primary or secondary school classroom. The "Parents' Strategies to Cope with Bullying" questionnaire was used to collect data. Regarding parents' coping with bullying, the strategy "Support and advice to the child" scored the highest and the strategy "Social support and information" the next highest.

RESULTS

Of the parents, 44.3 % had received some information/education regarding the phenomenon of bullying with the most important source of information being reading. According to the results of multivariate linear regression, mothers more often applied the strategy "social support and information" (Coefficient b=0.9, 95 % CI for b=0.7 to 1.1, p<0.001) and parents with lower educational level more often applied the strategy "avoidance" (Coefficient b=-0.5, 95 % CI for b=-0.8 to -0.2, p=0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

School bullying remains a major worldwide phenomenon over time. Although parents choose to support their children, they do not receive information and training on how to manage bullying from a formal institution, making the need for such programs imperative.

Problematic social media use mediates the effect of cyberbullying victimisation on psychosomatic complaints in adolescents

Adolescent psychosomatic complaints remain a public health issue globally. Studies suggest that cyberbullying victimisation, particularly on social media, could heighten the risk of psychosomatic complaints. However, the mechanisms underlying the associations between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints remain unclear. This cross-cultural study examines the mediating effect of problematic social media use (PSMU) on the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints among adolescents in high income countries. We analysed data on adolescents aged 11-16.5 years (weighted N = 142,298) in 35 countries participating in the 2018 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study. Path analysis using bootstrapping technique tested the hypothesised mediating role of PSMU. Results from the sequential binary mixed effects logit models showed that adolescents who were victims of cyberbullying were 2.39 times significantly more likely to report psychosomatic complaints than those who never experienced cyberbullying (AOR = 2.39; 95%CI = 2.29, 2.49). PSMU partially mediated the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints accounting for 12% ( β  = 0.01162, 95%CI = 0.0110, 0.0120) of the total effect. Additional analysis revealed a moderation effect of PSMU on the association between cyberbullying victimisation and psychosomatic complaints. Our findings suggest that while cyberbullying victimisation substantially influences psychosomatic complaints, the association is partially explained by PSMU. Policy and public health interventions for cyberbullying-related psychosomatic complaints in adolescents should target safe social media use.

Global prevalence of bullying and associated factors among nursing students during clinical practice: A systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

This meta-analysis aims to estimate the global prevalence of bullying among nursing students during clinical practice and identify associated factors.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

REVIEW METHODS AND DATA SOURCES

We conducted a comprehensive literature search across ten databases (PubMed, Cochrane, Web of Science, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Scopus, Chinese Biomedical, China National Knowledge Internet, and WANFANG) from their inception to January 3, 2023. Two researchers independently screened potentially eligible studies, extracted data, and assessed study quality. Data were analyzed using random-effects or fixed-effects models. Subgroup analyses and meta-regression explored the influence of participant and study characteristics on bullying prevalence. Publication bias and sensitivity analyses were also performed.

RESULTS

We included 28 studies (N = 9511) from 13 countries on five continents. The pooled estimate of bullying prevalence among nursing students during clinical practice was 65.60 % (95 % CI 55. 75 to 74.27), with no evidence of publication bias (t = 1.51, p-value = 0.14). Subgroup and moderator analyses highlighted the impact of country, continent, publication year, and assessment tool on bullying prevalence.

CONCLUSION

Nursing students face a high prevalence of bullying during clinical practice. Addressing this issue in nursing education requires prioritizing associated factors, fostering a culture of safety, providing effective training, and promoting individual resilience. These actions can prevent and mitigate bullying, creating a supportive and empowering learning environment for future nurses.

Family economic pressure and early adolescents' prosocial behavior: The importance of considering the types of prosocial behavior

BACKGROUND

Prior research findings are mixed regarding whether prosocial behavior is positively or negatively related to socioeconomic status and its correlates, such as economic pressure. This may be due to the lack of considerations for the type of prosocial behavior.

AIMS

In this study, we aimed to examine how six types of prosocial behavior (i.e., public, anonymous, compliant, emotional, dire, and altruistic) are related to economic pressure among early adolescents. We hypothesized that family economic pressure would be associated with each type of prosocial behavior in differing ways.

MATERIALS & METHODS

Participants were 11-14 years old (N = 143, Mage  = 12.2 years, SDage  = 0.87, 63 boys, 1 trans-identified boy, 55 girls), early adolescents and their parents. Among them, 54.6% were non-Hispanic/Latinx (NH/L) White, 23.8% were NH/L Black, 11.2% were NH/L Asian, 2.1% were NH/L Multiracial, and 8.4% were Hispanic/Latinx. Parents reported family economic pressure and adolescents' six types of prosocial behavior.

RESULTS

Path analysis revealed that economic pressure was negatively associated with emotional and dire prosocial behavior over and above age, gender, and race/ethnicity. Family economic pressure was unrelated to public, anonymous, compliant, and altruistic prosocial behavior.

DISCUSSION

These findings show some support for the Family Stress Model, such that economic stress might hinder youth's prosocial development. At the same time, youth may have similar levels of certain types of prosocial behavior regardless of their family's economic pressure.

CONCLUSION

This research provided insight into the complex relation between economic pressure and youth's prosocial behavior which varies depending on the type of behavior.

Insomnia and distress as mediators on the relationship from cyber-victimization to self-reported psychotic experiences: a binational study from Tunisia and Lebanon

BACKGROUND

While expansive research has accumulated concerning the association between traditional, face-to-face peer victimization and psychosis, a paucity of empirical research has been undertaken so far to investigate these associations with experiences of new and evolving ways of victimization through the digital world. Exploring these associations is highly relevant and timely, given that emerging adults are heavy users of digital technologies, highly exposed to online risks, and are at the peak age of onset of psychosis. This study aimed to test the hypothesis that psychological distress and insomnia symptoms have a significant indirect mediating effect on the association between cyber-victimization and self-reported positive psychotic experiences (SRPEs) in a binational sample of Tunisian and Lebanese community adults.

METHOD

The total sample was composed of 3766 participants; 3103 were from Lebanon (Mean age: 21.73 ± 3.80 years, 63.6% females) and 663 from Tunisia (Mean age: 26.32 ± 4.86 years, 59.9% females). Online anonymous self-report questionnaires were administered to all participants.

RESULTS

Higher SRPEs were found in Lebanese participants compared to Tunisians, in single participants compared to married ones, in those with a university level of education compared to secondary or less, in those who live in rural areas compared to urban, in those who do not smoke, do not drink alcohol and do not use marijuana or any other illegal drug. Furthermore, more cyber-victimization, a higher insomnia severity and psychological distress were significantly associated with higher SRPEs. After adjusting for potential confounders, mediation analysis demonstrated that higher cyber-victimization was significantly associated with more insomnia severity/psychological distress; which were, in turn, significantly associated with greater SRPEs. Finally, more cyber-victimization was significantly and directly associated with more positive dimension.

CONCLUSION

Identifying insomnia and distress as mediators could provide novel insight for psychosis prevention efforts and intervention targets for cyber-victimized individuals prone to experience subclinical psychotic symptoms.

Associations Between Peer Victimization and Problematic Internet Use Among Adolescents: Humor Makes a Difference

With the increasing development of science and technology, the Internet has become an essential part of people's daily lives providing great convenience. However, the Internet also leads to problematic Internet use (PIU) among adolescents, which has attracted increasing attention from the academic community. Peer victimization is a pervasive stressor among adolescents and has been proven to lead to a series of mental health challenges. Although the association between peer victimization and PIU has been well documented, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. This study aimed to understand how and when peer victimization increases the risk of PIU among adolescents. Building on Agnew's general strain theory, this study hypothesized that depression mediates the relationship between peer victimization and PIU and humor moderates the mediating model. To examine these hypotheses, 469 middle school students were recruited to complete a series of questionnaires on peer victimization, depression, humor, and PIU. The results showed that depression partially mediated the relationship between peer victimization and PIU. A moderated mediation analysis indicated that humor moderated the indirect pathway, consistent with the reverse stress-buffering model, the relationship between peer victimization and depression was stronger for adolescents with high humor. However, the relationship between depression and PIU was weaker in adolescents with high humor, which is in line with the stress-buffering model. These findings could be of significance in understanding the underlying mechanism of PIU associated with peer victimization and provide a new perspective for preventing PIU among adolescents, especially those experiencing peer victimization. The limitations and considerations for future research are discussed.

Longitudinal associations between traditional and cyberbullying victimization and depressive symptoms among young Chinese: A mediation analysis

BACKGROUND

The impacts of bullying victimization on psychological health are long-lasting. However, the longitudinal mediating processes of the association between being bullied (traditionally and in a cyber context) and depressive symptoms of Chinese youth remain underexplored, including across the sexes.

OBJECTIVE

This study investigated the longitudinal association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms, including the mediating effects of physical health, healthy lifestyles, sleep quality, and academic achievements. Different pathways from traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization regarding depressive symptoms were also explored, with a comparison across the sexes.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Data were obtained from the China Education Panel Survey, and ninth graders aged approximately 15 years constituted the baseline cohort.

METHODS

The baseline data and longitudinal data at two- and five-year follow-ups, respectively, were evaluated to estimate structural equation models.

RESULTS

Baseline traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization significantly predicted subsequent depressive symptoms at both follow-ups (P < 0.001). Being bullied also predicted worse healthy lifestyles, poorer sleep quality, and lower academic achievements (P < 0.05), all significantly correlated with the development of depressive symptoms (P < 0.001) regarding both bullying victimizations. Physical health was the mediator of the traditional bullying victimization-depressive symptoms linkage (P < 0.05). Female victims have a relatively higher risk of depression versus male victims, with different mediating pathways from victimization to depressive symptoms.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings strengthen the evidence of a longitudinal association between bullying victimization and depressive symptoms, provide new explanations for mechanisms of mediation, and highlight the importance of long-term comprehensive mental health interventions for victims of bullying.

Cyber-Victimization and Its Effect on Depression in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The difference in participants' characteristics between samples and the inconsistency in the methodology have led to variability in both direction and magnitude of association between cyber-victimization and depression in adolescents. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigates the relationship between cyber-victimization and depression in adolescents. Primary studies on cyber-victimization and depression among adolescents (10-19 years of age based on WHO definition) on PubMed and EMBASE databases were included. The forward and backward snowballing searching method was also used to explore more publications. The main effect estimate extracted from eligible studies was the odds ratio which was synthesized based on the random-effect model. The protocol of this study was prospectively registered on PROSPERO database (registration number: CRD42020185700). Among 1,008 research articles identified, 17 were eligible which comprised a total sample of 79,202 adolescents. The odds of depression among cyber-victims was almost three-fold higher (OR = 2.73; 95% CI 2.25-3.31) compared to non-cyber-victims. The overall effect estimate remained positive irrespective of differences in sample and method characteristics (study location, female percentage, sampling procedures, the use of single vs. multiple items, and elaboration of cyber-bullying definition). The presence of traditional bullying items was found to be important moderator of this relationship. However, none of the anticipated moderators had a clear impact on this relationship. Moreover, absence of publication bias was confirmed. This study confirms findings from the literature about the significant association between cyber-victimization and depression in adolescents across settings and populations. More efforts should be made to address this issue rigorously and to a greater extent.

Integrating the Interpersonal Theory of Suicide Into the Relations Between Cyber-Victimization and Suicidality Among Adolescents: A Short-Term Prospective Study

The relation between cyber-victimization and suicidality among adolescents has been well documented; however, the mechanisms underlying this association have not been well investigated. Drawing upon the interpersonal theory of suicide, this study aimed to examine the mediating mechanisms (i.e., thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness) underlying longitudinal, bidirectional relations between cyber-victimization and suicidal ideation/attempts among adolescents and explore gender differences in the mechanisms. Participants were 497 Chinese adolescents (46.1% male; M_age = 13.28, SD = .66), who completed the assessment of cyber-victimization, thwarted belongingness, and perceived burdensomeness, suicidal ideation/attempts at three-time points. The time interval between each two assessments is two weeks. Results showed the reciprocal relations between cyber-victimization and thwarted belongingness/perceived burdensomeness, between thwarted belongingness and suicidal ideation/suicide attempts, and between perceived burdensomeness and suicide attempts. Longitudinal mediation analyses indicated that Time 2 thwarted belongingness mediated the relation between Time 1 cyber-victimization and Time 3 suicidal ideation/suicide attempts. Besides, the reverse pathway from Time 1 suicidal ideation to Time 3 cyber-victimization was also mediated by Time 2 thwarted belongingness, but it was only significant in females, as suggested by multiple-group analyses. According to the aforementioned results, the interpersonal theory of suicide provides a useful framework for understanding relations between cyber-victimization and suicidality. Findings suggest that intervention targeted at improving the need to belong may help reduce suicide risk and lower cyber-victimization. Anti-cyber-victimization should be integrated into suicide intervention and prevention programs, and gender differences should be taken into account in order to enhance the program's effectiveness.

Global trends and regional differences in the burden of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributed to bullying victimisation in 204 countries and territories, 1999-2019: an analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study

AIM

This study aimed to analyse the temporal and spatial trends in the burden of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder related to bullying victimisation on global, regional and country scales.

METHODS

Data were from the 2019 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) Study. We assessed the global disability-adjusted life years (DALYs, per 100 000 population) of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation by age, sex and geographical location. The percentage changes in age-standardised rates of DALYs were used to quantify temporal trends, and the annual rate changes across 204 countries and territories were used to present spatial trends. Furthermore, we examined the relationship between the sociodemographic index (SDI) and the burden of anxiety disorders as well as major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation and its spatial and temporal characteristics globally.

RESULTS

From 1990 to 2019, the global DALY rates of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation increased by 23.31 and 26.60%, respectively, with 27.27 and 29.07% for females and 18.88 and 23.84% for males. Across the 21 GBD regions, the highest age-standardised rates of bullying victimisation-related DALYs for anxiety disorders were in North Africa and the Middle East and for major depressive disorder in High-income North America. From 1990 to 2019, the region with the largest percentage increase in the rates of DALYs was High-income North America (54.66% for anxiety disorders and 105.88% for major depressive disorder), whereas the region with the slowest growth rate or largest percentage decline was East Asia (1.71% for anxiety disorders and -25.37% for major depressive disorder). In terms of SDI, this study found overall upward trends of bullying-related mental disorders in areas regardless of the SDI levels, although there were temporary downward trends in some stages of certain areas.

CONCLUSIONS

The number and rates of DALYs of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder attributable to bullying victimisation increased from 1990 to 2019. Effective strategies to eliminate bullying victimisation in children and adolescents are needed to reduce the burden of anxiety disorders and major depressive disorder. Considering the large variations in the burden by SDI and geographic location, future protective actions should be developed based on the specific cultural contexts, development status and regional characteristics of each country.

The impact of strain, constraints, and morality on different cyberbullying roles: A partial test of Agnew's general strain theory

The strain has been well studied in traditional bullying, and recent research has begun to explore it in cyberbullying behavior. Drawing from General Strain Theory, the current study empirically examined the relationship between strain and the cyberbullying behavior of perpetrators and bully-victims, respectively. Meanwhile, this study also considered the influences of the protective variables (e.g., constraints and morality) on the strain, which may potentially reduce the risks of participating in cyberbullying. The sample comprised 928 Chinese internet users (Male = 490, Female = 438) aged between 16 to 50. We identified the prevalence of cyberbullying in China, in which the percentages of cyberbullying perpetrators, cyberbullying victims, and cyber bully-victims were 23.40, 23.20, and 37.40%, respectively. This study mentioned a noteworthy phenomenon: cyberbullying victims quickly became cyberbullying perpetrators when they were cyberbullied. Secondly, according to the binary logistic regression, we hold that the strain was significantly related to cyberbullying behaviors, as individuals with low levels of self-control showed a higher tendency to participate in cyberbullying. As for protective factors, the results showed that constraints and morality can reduce the negative consequences of strain and then against cyberbullying, exploring the possibilities of using constraints and morality as variables to decrease strain and prevent cyberbullying. Thus, the unique values of this study are using the GST theory to investigate the empirical link between strain and cyberbullying between different roles in a new cultural and social background, demonstrating that negative emotion and low self-control had influences on strain and cyberbullying behaviors. Meanwhile, this study also contributes by discussing the implications for future research and practicing efforts targeting how to decrease the risks of cyberbullying engagement, for example, we suggest that the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying should adopt a cross-sectoral response to help individuals to view cyberbullying, vent dissatisfaction and relieve strain in the right way.

Stay Safe and Strong: Characteristics, Roles and Emotions of Student-Produced Comics Related to Cyberbullying

The present study aimed at giving voice to students from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds using a co-participatory approach. Participants were 59 adolescents (52.5% males) aged between 14 and 16 from five European countries who created ten comics to illustrate cyberbullying for a broader audience of peers. We analyzed texts and images according to four primary themes: cyberbullying episodes (types, platforms, co-occurrence with bullying), coping strategies, characters (roles, gender, and group membership), and emotions. The content analysis showed that online denigration on social media platforms was widely represented and that cyberbullying co-existed with bullying. Social strategies were frequently combined with passive and confrontational coping, up to suicide. All roles (cyberbully, cybervictim, bystander, reinforcer, defender) were portrayed among the 154 characters identified, even if victims and defenders appeared in the vignettes more often. Males, females, peers, and adults were represented in all roles. Among the 87 emotions detected, sadness was the most frequently expressed, followed by joy, surprise, anger, and fear. Emotions, mainly represented by drawings or drawings with text, were most often represented in association with cybervictims. The results are discussed in terms of their methodological and practical implications, as they emphasize the importance of valorizing young peoples’ voices in research and interventions against cyberbullying.

Personality Traits and Cyberbullying Perpetration Among Chinese University Students: The Moderating Role of Internet Self-Efficacy and Gender

Cyberbullying is a serious global problem that affects many teenagers and university students. Recent studies have explored the relationship between personality traits and cyberbullying, but the mechanism needs further research. This paper examines the impact of personality traits on cyberbullying perpetration of Chinese university students and the moderating role of Internet self-efficacy (ISE) and gender. By random cluster sampling, 549 university students (45.7% boys) participated in filling out the self-report questionnaires. The results revealed: (1) conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness were significantly negatively correlated with cyberbullying perpetration. (2) The stratified regression showed that ISE moderated the relation between agreeableness and cyberbullying. Gender moderated the relationship between agreeableness and cyberbullying, and openness and cyberbullying.

Cyberbullying involvement and short sleep duration among adolescents

BACKGROUND

Research has shown that cyberbullying victimization is associated with short sleep duration among adolescents; however, the association between cyberbullying perpetration and sleep duration is unclear. Furthermore, little is known about the factors that could moderate these associations. Thus, the objectives of this study were to investigate the associations of cyberbullying victimization, perpetration, or both with short sleep duration among adolescents, and to test whether age, sex, and adherence to the screen time recommendations (≤2 hours/day) moderate these associations.

METHODS

Data on 6834 adolescents aged 11-20 years were derived from a representative cross-sectional study of middle and high school students across Ontario, Canada. Short sleep duration was self-reported and defined as sleeping less than the age-appropriate sleep duration recommendations. Multivariable logistic regression models were adjusted for important covariates. Adjusted odds ratios (AOR) and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) are reported.

RESULTS

Cyberbullying victimization (AOR = 1.60, 95% CI = 1.37-1.86), perpetration (AOR = 1.44, 95% CI = 1.16-1.79), or both perpetration and victimization (AOR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.27-2.30) was associated with greater odds of short sleep duration. Results further indicated that younger students who were not cyberbullied had a lower probability of short sleep duration, but there was no difference in the probability of short sleep duration between being cyberbullied or not among older adolescents. Sex and screen time did not moderate any of the associations between cyberbullying involvement and short sleep duration.

CONCLUSION

Involvement in cyberbullying as either a victim, a perpetrator, or both is associated with short sleep duration among adolescents. Strategies that can help to eliminate cyberbullying are needed in public health.

Importance of Digital Communication in Adolescents' Development: Theoretical and Empirical Advancements in the Last Decade

The past decade saw a sharp increase in the use of smartphones and digital communication platforms. This manuscript reviews advancements in the study of digital communication and adolescent development over the last decade. We highlight theoretical models that seek to explain the power of digital media in adolescents' lives. We then examine research conducted over the last decade on five aspects of digital media: (1) potential to contribute to adolescent development, (2) associations with mental health, (3) differential impact of active versus passive social media use, (4) cyberbullying, and (5) sexting. We conclude with a discussion of potential opportunities and challenges for studying the role of digital communication in adolescents' development during the coming decade.

Depressed and excluded: Do depressive symptoms moderate recovery from ostracism?

BACKGROUND

Prior studies show that depressed individuals react with more immediate reflexive need threat to ostracism than healthy controls. However, it remains unclear whether the observed difference between depressed individuals and healthy controls is caused by ostracism. To find out, the exclusion condition needs to be compared to a baseline condition: inclusion.

METHODS

We assessed depressive symptoms in N = 426 participants in an experimental study. Participants were included or excluded in Cyberball and indicated both their immediate reflexive need satisfaction level and their reflective need satisfaction level several minutes later to assess recovery.

RESULTS

Being excluded decreased reflexive need satisfaction levels for all participants. At the same time, the strength of depressive symptoms negatively predicted reflexive and reflective need satisfaction and was associated with slower recovery. Importantly, no moderation was observed: individuals with more depressive symptoms reported reduced need satisfaction levels regardless of being included or excluded in Cyberball.

LIMITATIONS

The present findings were obtained with one paradigm only, albeit the most commonly used one: Cyberball. Depressive symptoms were assessed as self-report; future studies may wish to replicate the effects using structured clinical interviews.

CONCLUSIONS

Depressive symptoms come with lowered need satisfaction levels, irrespective of whether individuals are socially excluded or included. Clinical practitioners should be aware of the relationship between chronic need threat and depression in order to help their patients overcome it.

Cyberbullying victimization and depression among adolescents: A meta-analysis

Cyberbullying is a category of bullying that occurs in the digital realm/medium of electronic text. In this study, we used meta-analysis to explore the relation between cyberbullying victimization and depression. We investigated 57 empirical studies from 17 countries (74 effect sizes and 105, 440 participants). The results showed that there was a significant positive relation between cyberbullying victimization and depression (r = .291, 95% CI = [.246, .335]). Moreover, we found that gender, age and publication year significantly moderated the relation between cyberbullying victimization and depression.

Forgiveness and Loneliness in Peer-Victimized Adolescents

The purpose of the present study was to analyze the relationships between forgiveness, motivations for revenge, avoidance, and benevolence; loneliness, emotional loneliness and positive subjective evaluation of the social network; and peer victimization in schools, relational, overt physical, and overt verbal, based on gender. A battery of instruments was administered to 617 Spanish students (50.7% boys and 49.3% girls), aged between 10 and 16 years (M = 13.04 years, SD = 1.80 years) from primary and secondary education. A multivariate analysis of variance and a multiple block regression for data analysis was used. Study results revealed that the most victimized students showed greater motivation for revenge and avoidance, as well as a greater perception of emotional loneliness and less positive subjective evaluation of their social network. In addition, the findings obtained in the regression analysis (stepwise) indicated that being a boy between 11 and 13 years old and having a high level of emotional loneliness and high avoidance motivation were the most important predictors of peer victimization. Finally, the findings and their possible implications in the design of intervention projects that encourage forgiveness in interpersonal conflicts and integration in social networks as preventive strategies of peer victimization were discussed.

Bullying and Cyberbullying in Spain and Poland, and Their Relation to Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies

Bullying and cyberbullying have been intensively studied in many countries, and research on the topic has been fruitful. Nevertheless, it is still necessary to advance knowledge on bullying and cyberbullying in many geographical areas and to discover their risk and protective factors. The objective of this study was to describe and compare the involvement in different bullying and cyberbullying roles in Spain and Poland, identifying risk and protective factors such as moral disengagement, social and emotional competencies, moral emotions and empathy. This study was carried out with a sample of 2535 primary and secondary school students from Spain and Poland. More bullying and cyberbullying involvement were found in Poland in comparison with Spain. Different moral disengagement mechanisms were found to be risk factors for involvement in bullying and cyberbullying in both countries. Low moral emotions were a risk factor for bullying and cyberbullying perpetration in Spain and Poland. Different social and emotional competencies were protective against bullying and cyberbullying in both countries. These results suggest the need to design and implement more programs to promote social, emotional and moral competencies in Spain and Poland to protect children against bullying and cyberbullying.

Depression and anxiety among pregnant mothers in the initial stage of the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) pandemic in the southwest of Iran

‌BACKGROUND: Women are at a higher risk for depression progression, especially during pregnancy. The current study purposed to investigate depression, anxiety, and stress levels of pregnant mothers in the initial stage of the COVID-19 infection in the southwest of Iran.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study was conducted during March and April, 2020, in Shiraz, Iran. Pregnant mothers registered in maternity clinics affiliated with Shiraz University of Medical Sciences were included. An online self-administered checklist was used. It included socio-demographic, obstetric and medical histories, and the short form of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) to evaluate depression, anxiety, and stress. A p-value < 0.05 was considered significant.

RESULTS

In total, 540 pregnant mothers answered the questionnaire. 83.5% had no comorbidity. Abnormal depression scores were significantly higher in those who had no insurance (OR = 2.5) and in those with poor self-rated health (SRH) (OR = 27.8). Pregnant mothers with lower SRH and two or more comorbidities had a higher chance of having an abnormal level of anxiety subscale (6.9, 3.7 times, retrospectively).

CONCLUSION

The results revealed that an abnormal level of depression was associated with SRH and medical insurance status. Moreover, the number of comorbidities and poor SRH significantly increased the chance of achieving abnormal anxiety levels in pregnant mothers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cyberbullying Among School Adolescents in an Urban Setting of a Developing Country: Experience, Coping Strategies, and Mediating Effects of Different Support on Psychological Well-Being

Background: This study examined the cyberbullying experience and coping manners of adolescents in urban Vietnam and explored the mediating effect of different support to the associations between cyberbullying and mental health issues.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed on 484 students at four secondary schools. Cyberbullying experience, coping strategies, psychological problems, and family, peer, and teacher support were obtained. Structural equation modeling was utilized to determine the mediating effects of different support on associations between cyberbullying and psychological problems.

Results: There were 11.6 and 28.3% of students who reported that they experienced and observed at least one cyberbullying act in the last 3 months, respectively. Among the victims, only 48.2% tried to stop the perpetrators. Meanwhile, the majority of observers belonged to the “Intervene” group who tried to report cyberbullying acts or help victims. Family support was found to partially mediate associations between cyberbullying experience and observation with levels of psychological problems among adolescents.

Conclusion: The 3-month rate of cyberbullying experience and observation among urban adolescents aged 11–14 was low. However, current coping strategies against cyberbullying were not sufficient. Family support is an important factor that should be considered for designing interventions to mitigating the impacts of cyberbullying on the mental health of adolescents.

Cyberbullying and cybervictimization among preadolescents: Does time perspective matter?

Time perspective has been recognized as an important psychological dimension with a pervasive and powerful influence on human behavior. To the authors' knowledge, no studies have focused on the relationship between time perspective and cyberbullying behavior. The first aim of this research is to fill this gap by investigating the relationship between different time perspectives and both cyberbullying and cybervictimization among 6th to 8th grade students. The second objective was to investigate the relationship between time perspective, cyberbullying behaviors, peer problems, and the quality of relationship with teachers. A sample consisting of 403 students aged between 11 and 14 years from Italian middle schools (56% females, mean age = 12.2 years) were recruited. Participants filled in a self-report questionnaire measuring cyberbullying and cybervictimization as well as the Time Perspective questionnaire. The analyses showed the presence of significant correlations between time perspective and both cyberbullying and cybervictimization. In particular, cybervictimization showed a quite large positive correlation with a past-negative orientation and a negative correlation with past-positive orientation. Instead, the involvement in active cyberbullying was positively correlated with a past-negative orientation and negatively correlated with future orientation. The findings advance the understanding of psychological factors influencing cyberbullying during early adolescence and suggest the importance of past-positive and past-negative orientations in accounting for both active cyberbullying and cybervictimization. As expected, future orientation appeared to represent a protective factor against involvement in cyberbullying behaviors.

The P.E.A.C.E. Pack Program in Italian High Schools: An Intervention for Victims of Bullying

Background: Bullying is a serious public issue, which mainly occurs in school with negative consequences for the students involved as victims. Very few teacher-delivered interventions have shown positive changes in the victims. The present study aimed at implementing the P.E.A.C.E. (Preparation, Education. Action, Coping, Evaluation) pack program, developed in Australia, in Italian high schools. Method: The effectiveness of the program was analyzed through an observational study (pre/post-intervention), involving 551 Italian high school students who completed a questionnaire on bullying victimization, self-efficacy, and bystander behavior. The students were divided into three groups (not involved students, occasional and severe victims) according to their self-reported victimization in the pre-intervention. Results: After the intervention, severe victims (victimized once/week or more often) showed a significant decrease in victimization and higher scores in self-efficacy, while an increase in victimization was observed in the not involved students. As reported by all the groups after the intervention, classmates were perceived more likely to intervene when a bullying episode occurred. By contrast, occasional and severe victims perceived their teachers as less likely to intervene. Conclusions: The P.E.A.C.E. pack is a promising program confirming in Italian schools the effectiveness already shown in other countries. This program is very useful for severe victims, supporting their self-confidence with a decrease in the frequency of aggressive episodes.

Cyberbullying and Children and Young People's Mental Health: A Systematic Map of Systematic Reviews

Cyberbullying is associated with considerable negative mental and psychosocial consequences in children and young people, making it a serious public health concern. To review the highest level of available evidence, a systematic mapping review was conducted to identify systematic reviews that investigated the relationship between cyberbullying and mental and psychological outcomes in young people. Topic-relevant bibliographic databases and online resources were searched to identify reviews published since 2007. Data were extracted using a coding tool developed for this study. Methodological quality of included reviews was assessed using AMSTAR criteria. Nineteen systematic reviews satisfied the inclusion criteria and they reported a strong negative association between cyberbullying and mental health outcomes in young people. Meta-analysis was performed in 11 reviews and narrative synthesis in 8 reviews. Data were derived from predominantly cross-sectional studies and a clear causal relationship between cyberbullying and mental outcomes cannot be established. Two-third of the included reviews were classified to be of low or unclear quality, due to the lack of quality assessment of the primary studies included in individual reviews. This systematic map consolidates available evidence at review level and confirms the existing gaps in longitudinal and qualitative evidence synthesis. Closer examination of the moderating factors influencing cyberbullying behaviors in future research can advance our understanding and inform the development of tailored programs of intervention to mitigate the negative impact of this phenomenon.

Relational Victimization and Internalizing Problems: Moderation of Popularity and Mediation of Popularity Status Insecurity

Extensive research has consistently shown an association between relational victimization and internalizing problems among adolescents. However, limited information is available about the underlying peer status related factors that may mediate or moderate this association. Using a short-term longitudinal design with a six-month interval between the two waves, this study examined whether popularity status insecurity mediated the associations between relational victimization and internalizing problems and whether this mediational process was moderated by popularity status among 447 (250 girls) Chinese 7th and 8th graders. The findings of this study show that popularity status insecurity mediated the longitudinal associations between relational victimization and the two internalizing problems, depressive symptoms and anxiety, but only for adolescents with relatively low popularity. This study reveals the moderated mediation processes explaining the impact of relational victimization on adolescents' mental health.

Peer Victimization in Overweight Adolescents and Its Effect on Their Self-Esteem and Peer Difficulties

This study has three objectives: to examine whether adolescents who perceive themselves as overweight differ from others in terms of offline victimization at school, cybervictimization, self-esteem, and difficulties relating to peers; to examine the possible effects of offline and cybervictimization on self-esteem and difficulties relating to peers; and to examine the possible moderating role of perceiving oneself as overweight on those effects. Previously validated questionnaires were applied to a sample of 3145 adolescents in Asturias (Spain). Descriptive, inferential, correlational, and structural equation analyses were performed. Adolescents who perceived themselves as overweight reported being victims of both offline victimization and most forms of cybervictimization to a greater extent than those who did not perceive themselves as overweight. They also reported lower self-esteem and more peer difficulties (shyness or social anxiety). In both groups of adolescents, victimization and cybervictimization were correlated with each other, both types of victimization had direct, negative effects on self-esteem, and self-esteem in turn had a direct, negative effect on peer difficulties. Furthermore, offline victimization had a direct, positive effect on peer difficulties. Perceiving oneself as overweight moderated the effect of self-esteem on peer difficulties. In adolescents perceiving themselves as overweight, low self-esteem was a stronger risk factor of peer difficulties than in the rest of the adolescents. With high overall self-esteem there were no significant differences in peer difficulties between the adolescents perceiving themselves as overweight and the rest of the adolescents.