Bullying Victimization and Problem Video Gaming: The Mediating Role of Externalizing and Internalizing Problems

Problematic gaming, psychiatric comorbidities, and adolescence: A systematic review of the literature

Problematic gaming is particularly prevalent in adolescent and young adult populations. While numerous studies have investigated the psychiatric comorbidities of Internet Gaming Disorder in young adults, few have focused specifically on adolescents who might be especially at risk because developmental particularities related to this developmental period. Here, we conducted a review of the literature, in line with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines, in order to highlight the types of psychiatric comorbidities found in adolescents with problematic gaming.. We selected and analyzed 30 cross-sectional and longitudinal studies which correspond to 3683 adolescents (63,27% of boys) worldwide with problematic gaming. Our results highlight the high prevalence of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) in adolescents with problematic gaming and the links between this addiction and inattention, anxiety, depression, behavioural and emotional problems. These psychiatric comorbidities interact with problematic gaming and predict it throughout the adolescent's development. Moreover, this interaction involves personality profile and environment, including parental education. The complexity of this interaction argues in favor of the multi-level assessment that we are promoting.

The Role of Self-Esteem in Protecting Against Cyber-Victimization and Gaming Disorder Symptoms Among Adolescents: A Temporal Dynamics Analysis

Previous literature has suggested that victimization is linked to low self-esteem and increases the symptoms of gaming disorder. However, little is known about the intra-individual processes, and the temporal dynamics of cyber-victimization, self-esteem, and gaming disorder symptoms. To address this gap, a three-year longitudinal study was performed using data collected at six different time points from 4206 Chinese adolescents (aged 12-17 years; 50.4% boys). Results of random intercept cross-lagged panel models (RI-CLPMs) indicated that at the within-person level, the fluctuation in self-esteem weakly predicted late cyber-victimization, and the fluctuation of cyber-victimization also weakly predicted late self-esteem. Additionally, the current study identified an interactive effect between self-esteem and gaming disorder symptoms at the within-person level. Fluctuations in self-esteem negatively predicted late gaming disorder symptoms, and vice versa. However, when combining the three variables (i.e., cyber-victimization, self-esteem, and gaming disorder symptoms) into one RI-CLPM, the results did not support the mediation of self-esteem in the relationship between cyber-victimization and gaming disorder symptoms at the within-person level. Moreover, fluctuations in self-esteem negatively predicted late gaming disorder symptoms and cyber-victimization at the within-person level in the RI-CLPM. These findings emphasize the protective role of self-esteem developed against cyber-victimization and gaming disorder symptoms among adolescents.

Biopsychosocial factors of gaming disorder: a systematic review employing screening tools with well-defined psychometric properties

Background and aims

Considering the growing number of gamers worldwide and increasing public concerns regarding the negative consequences of problematic gaming, the aim of the present systematic review was to provide a comprehensive overview of gaming disorder (GD) by identifying empirical studies that investigate biological, psychological, and social factors of GD using screening tools with well-defined psychometric properties.

Materials and methods

A systematic literature search was conducted through PsycINFO, PubMed, RISS, and KISS, and papers published up to January 2022 were included. Studies were screened based on the GD diagnostic tool usage, and only five scales with well-established psychometric properties were included. A total of 93 studies were included in the synthesis, and the results were classified into three groups based on biological, psychological, and social factors.

Results

Biological factors (n = 8) included reward, self-concept, brain structure, and functional connectivity. Psychological factors (n = 67) included psychiatric symptoms, psychological health, emotion regulation, personality traits, and other dimensions. Social factors (n = 29) included family, social interaction, culture, school, and social support.

Discussion

When the excess amount of assessment tools with varying psychometric properties were controlled for, mixed results were observed with regards to impulsivity, social relations, and family-related factors, and some domains suffered from a lack of study results to confirm any relevant patterns.

Conclusion

More longitudinal and neurobiological studies, consensus on a diagnostic tool with well-defined psychometric properties, and an in-depth understanding of gaming-related factors should be established to settle the debate regarding psychometric weaknesses of the current diagnostic system and for GD to gain greater legitimacy in the field of behavioral addiction.

Association between adolescents' problematic online behaviors and self-harm risk

INTRODUCTION

Problematic online behaviors, including sexting, cyberbullying, and Internet gaming disorder (IGD), were associated with a higher risk of self-harm among adolescents. However, the independent effect on self-harm brought by each problematic online behavior remains unknown.

METHODS

This cross-sectional nationwide survey investigated a representative sample of 8446 Taiwanese adolescents (49.7 % female, mean age = 15.4 ± 1.8, ranging from 10 to 18) in the summer of 2021. We used self-reported questionnaires to assess adolescents' problematic online behaviors. 18-item Risk-Taking and Self-Harm Inventory was applied to evaluate their self-harm risks. Adolescents with score ≥ 7 were considered self-harm identified. Multivariate regression analyses were performed to investigate the association between problematic online behaviors and self-harm risks.

RESULTS

The prevalence of sexting, cyberbullying victimization, cyberbullying perpetration, and IGD was 1.3 %, 1.1 %, 0.9 %, and 0.7 %, respectively. Adolescents with sexting were associated with higher self-harm scores (β = 4.30, 95 % CI [3.35, 5.25]), so did adolescents with IGD (β = 3.33, 95 % CI [1.96, 4.71]), cyberbullying perpetration (β = 2.61, 95 % CI [1.03, 4.20]), and cyberbullying victimization (β = 1.40, 95 % CI [0.04, 2.76]). Also, sexting (OR = 5.16, 95 % CI [3.26, 8.07]) and IGD (OR = 3.11, 95 % CI [1.50, 6.15]) were associated with increased odds of identified self-harm behaviors.

CONCLUSIONS

Sexting, cyberbullying victimization, cyberbullying perpetration, and IGD were all independently associated with an increased self-harm risk among adolescents. Among them, sexting was shown to be the most robust risk factor of identified self-harm behaviors. To prevent self-harm among adolescents, it is important to identify youth involved in problematic online behaviors, especially sexting.

The association between violent video game exposure and sub-types of school bullying in Chinese adolescents

BACKGROUND

School bullying among adolescents has been a worldwide public health issue. It has been observed that adolescents who are exposed to violent video games (VVGs) are often more aggressive. However, research on the association between violent video game exposure (VVGE) and different types of school bullying is limited in the Chinese context.

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this study was to explore whether VVGE is linked to school bullying behaviors among Chinese adolescents and to examine the relationship between different levels of violent game exposure and four sub-types (physical, verbal, relational, and cyber) of school bullying involvement.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study of 1,992 Chinese students (55.02% boys and 44.98% girls) with the average age of 15.84 ± 1.62 years. Sub-types of school bullying victimization and perpetration, Internet addiction, and VVGE were measured by using a self-administrated questionnaire. The association was examined by multiple logistic regression analysis, adjusting for covariates.

RESULTS

Physical, verbal, relational, and cyber school bullying victimization were reported by 18.12, 60.34, 11.75, and 12.05% of the adolescents, and physical, verbal, relational, and cyber school bullying perpetration were reported by 16.62, 54.62, 21.49, and 8.23% of them. Of the students, 1,398 (70.18%) were normal Internet users, 514 (25.80%) showed moderate Internet addictive behaviors, and 31 (1.56%) of the students showed severe Internet addictive behaviors. The prevalence of no VVGE, low-level VVGE, medium-level VVGE, and high-level of VVGE were 27.70, 24.10, 24.20, and 24.00%, respectively. The risk of physical victimization and physical perpetration significantly increased with the increasing degree of violent video game exposure (P for trend < 0.001), with the highest adjusted odds ratios (ORs) of 2.251 (95% CI 1.501-3.375) and 2.554 (95% CI 1.685-3.870), when comparing high-level VVGE with no VVGE.

CONCLUSION

These findings highlight the specific association between different sub-types of school bullying involvement and violent video game exposure. Physical school bullying prevention and intervention programs should be conducted after adolescents are exposed to violent video games.