Cyberbullying and Psychopathological Behaviors in Spanish Secondary Education Students

Cyberbullying is considered a serious health problem that mainly affect adolescents, with different characteristics depending on the role in which they are directly involved. The objective of our research was to analyze the sociodemographic characteristics and psychopathological behaviors among the roles of those involved in cyberbullying (victims, aggressors, bystanders and aggressive victims). The study participants were 280 students aged between 12 and 17 years (61.8% female) from the Region of Murcia, Spain. The Cyberbullying Screening of Bullying among Peers, the Clinical Analysis Questionnaire and a sociodemographic survey were used. Hierarchical regression analysis was used. This study showed that the roles of those directly involved in cyberbullying correlate with psychopathological behaviors. It is a priority to promote prevention programs aimed at improving cyberbullying among students.

Self-Esteem at University: Proposal of an Artificial Neural Network Based on Resilience, Stress, and Sociodemographic Variables

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a useful predictive tool for a wide variety of fields of knowledge. Despite this, the educational field is still an environment that lacks a variety of studies that use this type of predictive tools. In parallel, it is postulated that the levels of self-esteem in the university environment may be related to the strategies implemented to solve problems. For these reasons, the aim of this study was to analyze the levels of self-esteem presented by teaching staff and students at university (N = 290, 73.1% female) and to design an algorithm capable of predicting these levels on the basis of their coping strategies, resilience, and sociodemographic variables. For this purpose, the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSES), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the Brief Resilience Scale were administered. The results showed a relevant role of resilience and stress perceived in predicting participants’ self-esteem levels. The findings highlight the usefulness of artificial neural networks for predicting psychological variables in education.

Profiles of Maladjustment and Interpersonal Risk Factors in Adolescents

The individual's adaptation problems can lead to risky behaviors such as drug use. This study aimed to analyze the existence of different adaptation profiles (personal, school, and social) in adolescents. Thus, the study aimed to analyze the existence of significant differences in interpersonal risk factors depending on the degree of adaptation. The study participants were 1,201 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (M = 14.43, SD = 1.43), and 50.6% were girls. The TAMAI Test (multifactorial adaptation self-evaluation test) and the FRIDA questionnaire (Interpersonal Risk Factors for Drug Use in Adolescence) were used. A latent class analysis (LCA) revealed three different types of adaptation: maladjusted group, at-risk group, and adjusted group. The results showed the existence of significant differences between the different adaptation profiles based on interpersonal risk factors. The data obtained will help school and mental health plans to prevent misbehaving or risky behaviors.

Perfectionism Classes and Aggression in Adolescents

Some of the components of perfectionism produce a variety of problems, such as interpersonal hypersensitivity and hostility, that may be associated with aggression behavior during adolescence. This study aims to identify classes of adolescents depending on their levels of Perfectionistic Strivings (PS) and Perfectionistic Concerns (PC) as well as to examine whether there are significant differences in the manifestations of the four components of aggression behavior (i.e., anger, hostility, physical aggression, and verbal aggression) between them. A total of 1,074 high school students from various educational centers participated in this study (M = 14.78, SD = 1.84). The Child-Adolescent Perfectionism Scale and the Aggression Questionnaire short form were used. The Latent Class Analysis identified three classes of adolescent perfectionism: (a) Non-Perfectionists (low PS and PC), (b) Maladaptive Perfectionists (high PS and PC), and (c) Adaptive Perfectionists (moderate PS and PC). Results revealed significant differences between classes regarding the different manifestations of aggression. Maladaptive Perfectionists and Adaptive Perfectionists reported, respectively, the highest and lowest levels of aggression behavior. This study assists in educational programs to prevent conflicts related to school violence through emotional adjustment.

Stress, Coping, and Resilience Before and After COVID-19: A Predictive Model Based on Artificial Intelligence in the University Environment

The COVID-19 global health emergency has greatly impacted the educational field. Faced with unprecedented stress situations, professors, students, and families have employed various coping and resilience strategies throughout the confinement period. High and persistent stress levels are associated with other pathologies; hence, their detection and prevention are needed. Consequently, this study aimed to design a predictive model of stress in the educational field based on artificial intelligence that included certain sociodemographic variables, coping strategies, and resilience capacity, and to study the relationship between them. The non-probabilistic snowball sampling method was used, involving 337 people (73% women) from the university education community in south-eastern Spain. The Perceived Stress Scale, Stress Management Questionnaire, and Brief Resilience Scale were administered. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (version 24) was used to design the architecture of artificial neural networks. The results found that stress levels could be predicted by the synaptic weights of coping strategies and timing of the epidemic (before and after the implementation of isolation measures), with a predictive capacity of over 80% found in the neural network model. Additionally, direct and significant associations were identified between the use of certain coping strategies, stress levels, and resilience. The conclusions of this research are essential for effective stress detection, and therefore, early intervention in the field of educational psychology, by discussing the influence of resilience or lack thereof on the prediction of stress levels. Identifying the variables that maintain a greater predictive power in stress levels is an effective strategy to design more adjusted prevention programs and to anticipate the needs of the community.

Affective Profiles and Anxiety or Non-Anxiety-Related Reasons for School Refusal Behavior: Latent Profile Analysis in Spanish Adolescents

Little has been studied on the relationship between affect and school problems related with attendance. This study aims to identify different affective profiles and to determine whether these profiles differ from each other based on the four functional conditions of school refusal behavior. Participants comprised 1,816 Spanish adolescents aged 15-18 years (M = 16.39; SD = 1.05). The Positive and Negative Affect Schedule for Children-Short Form and the School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised for Children (SRAS-R-C) were administered. Latent profile analysis revealed five affective profiles: low affective profile, self-fulfilling profile, low positive affect profile, self-destructive profile, and high affective profile. The self-destructive profile revealed the highest average scores in the first three factors of the SRAS-R-C, whereas the high affective profile reached the highest average score in the fourth factor. On the contrary, the self-fulfilling profile obtained the lowest average scores in the first two factors of the SRAS-R-C, whereas the low affective profile revealed the lowest average scores in the last two factors. Findings suggest the relevance of developing more adaptative affective profiles, such as the self-fulfilling profile, which would contribute to diminishing school attendance problems.

Profiles of Mobile Phone Problem Use in Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Adolescents

Technology is being used by individuals of all ages; young children show a high tendency of problematic use of devices such as smartphones. This study aimed to identify different profiles that vary in conflicts related to problematic mobile phone use and maladaptive communication and emotional patterns. Therefore, we examined whether there are significant differences in bullying and cyberbullying among teenagers who have a problem utilizing mobile phones. The study participants were 810 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (M = 13.99, SD = 1.32), with 52.2% being girls. Questionnaires on school violence and experiences related to mobile phones were administered. The latent profile analysis identified three different types of problematic mobile phone use: (a) low levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and low levels of communication and emotional use; (b) moderate levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and moderate levels of communication and emotional use; and (c) high levels of conflict was associated with mobile phone abuse and high levels of communication and emotional use. The study results highlight significant differences in the manifestations of school violence between the profiles. Finally, this study’s findings form the basis for the development of education programs to prevent mobile phone abuse and school violence and therefore academic adjustment.

Latent Profiles of Burnout, Self-Esteem and Depressive Symptomatology among Teachers

Burnout is a reality in the teaching profession. Specifically, teaching staff usually have higher burnout rates. The present study aims to analyze the different burnout profiles and to verify if there were differences between burnout profiles in depressive symptomatology and in the self-esteem of the teachers at school. The total number of participants was 210 teachers from 30 to 65 years. The first scale was the Maslach burnout inventory, the second scale was the Self-Rating depression scale and the third scale was the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale . The latent class analysis identified three burnout profiles: the first group with a high level of emotional exhaustion, low personal accomplishment and depersonalization (high burnout); the second group with low emotional exhaustion, low depersonalization and high personal accomplishment (low burnout) and the third group with low depersonalization, low emotional exhaustion and low personal accomplishment (moderate burnout). The results revealed that there were differences in depressive symptomatology (group 1 obtained higher scores than group 2 and group 3) and self-esteem (group 2 obtained higher scores than group 1). The psychological balance and health of teachers depend on preventing the factors that have been associated with this syndrome.

Mechanisms of Moral Disengagement Used to Justify School Violence in Sicilian Primary School

This study investigated the mechanisms of moral disengagement most commonly used to justify school violence in Sicilian primary school. The main objective of this study was to analyze the mechanisms of moral disengagement that are set in motion by those involved in situations of school violence (victims, aggressors, and bystanders) in Sicilian primary school. Likewise, the differences by gender and age are investigated. A total of 113 subjects in primary school were recruited (56.6% girls). The ages ranged from 8 to 11 (M = 9.56, SD = 0.99). The first scale used was the Bullying Inventory by Olweus (1993) in the Italian translation by Genta, Menesini, Fonzi, Costabile, and Smith (1996) and the questionnaire on moral disengagement developed by Caprara, Barbaranelli, Vicino, and Bandura (1996) is also used. The regression analysis showed that the sociodemographic variables and the mechanisms of moral disengagement are different depending on a person's role (aggressor, victim, or bystander). Moral justification predicted the role of victim in school violence, dehumanization predicted the role of the aggressor (and gender), and the disclosure of responsibility (and dehumanization) predicted the role of the bystander in school violence. The conclusions of this study will facilitate the prevention of school violence, for example, by promoting social integration and minimizing situations of school violence (emphasizing morality, ethics, etc.), thereby establishing balanced and satisfactory interpersonal relationships.

Female Soccer Players' Psychological Profile: Differences between Professional and Amateur Players

The psychological variables that affect competitive performance are called the psychological profile of athletes. In recent years, the interest in female soccer players and the psychological characteristics that affect their performance has increased. The aim of the present study is to analyze the psychological characteristics of female professional soccer players and female amateur soccer players, as well as to determine the differences in the psychological profile of both groups. The participants were 134 federated female soccer players, with an average age of 18.28 years (SD = 4.05). To assess the psychological profile, the questionnaire on Psychological Characteristics related to Sports Performance (CPRD) by Gimeno, Buceta, and Pérez-Llantada (2001) was used. The results showed that female professional players presented higher values for motivation, while the female amateur players presented higher values for stress control and the influence of performance evaluation. These results can have a great impact on coaches' work, since they can help them to establish tasks and training methods consistent with the characteristics of their players.

Profiles of Burnout, Coping Strategies and Depressive Symptomatology

Burnout syndrome is has been associated with mental health problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress. Given this fact, some teachers implement various coping strategies for emotional control that are not always functional to mitigate such difficulties. Accordingly, this study aimed to identify different burnout profiles that vary in the levels of the three underlying dimensions: depersonalization (DE), emotional exhaustion (EE), and personal accomplishment (PA). Further, this study aimed to examine whether there are significant differences in depressive symptomatology, coping strategies, and the quality of interpersonal relationships at school between teachers with varying burnout profiles. The Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Coping with Stress Questionnaire, and a questionnaire that measured sociodemographic characteristics were administered to 215 teachers (men: 42.8%) who were recruited from various secondary schools. Cluster analysis identified three different burnout profiles: groups of teachers with a predominance of (a) low levels of EE and high levels of PA, (b) high levels of EE and DE, and (c) low levels of DE and PA. The results revealed that there were significant differences in coping strategies, depressive symptomatology, and the quality of interpersonal relationships at school between teachers with different burnout profiles. These results have important implications for educational professionals. Specifically, the findings underscore the need for prevention and intervention programs that enhance teachers' emotional skills, especially their ability to cope with exhaustion. These skills will alleviate their depression and consequently offer both teachers and students a conducive learning environment.

Latent Class Analysis of School Refusal Behavior and Its Relationship With Cyberbullying During Adolescence

Cyberbullying is a common relational problem having negative repercussions on the academic performance of adolescents. Numerous questions remain to be answered with regard to the relationship between cyberbullying and school refusal behavior. This study examines school refusal profiles (measured by School Refusal Assessment Scale-Revised) and assesses whether these profiles vary with respect to the level of victimization, aggression, aggression-victimization, and observation of cyberbullying (measured with the Screening of Harassment among Peers). The sample consisted of 1,102 Spanish high school students, aged 12–18 (M = 14.30, SD = 1.71). Latent class analysis revealed three school refusal behavior profiles: non-school refusal behavior, school refusal behavior by negative reinforcements (oriented to the avoidance of social evaluation and negative affectivity in school situations), and school refusal behavior by positive reinforcements (oriented to obtaining the attention of others with significant or tangible reinforcements). The ANOVA found statistically significant differences for all cyberbullying behaviors. Students with school refusal by negative reinforcements had significantly higher mean scores as compared to the other profiles in victimization, aggression, aggression-victimization, and observation behaviors, while the levels of cyberbullying were similar between students without school refusal and students with school refusal behavior by positive reinforcements. These findings underscore the need to consider priority interventions to prevent cyberbullying in children who refuse school for the purpose of avoiding situations of anxiety and negative emotions.

Impact of the Physical Activity on Bullying

Relationship problems among school children can lead to bullying situations. In this regard, it should be noted that, among healthy lifestyle habits, sports practice (non-competitive) promotes responsibility and improves coexistence. The objective of the present study was to analyze the incidence of the frequency of practice of healthy physical activity on the risks of students directly involved in school bullying (harasser and victim) by gender. The participants of the study were 1,248 students of Compulsory Secondary Education with ages between 11 and 18 (M = 14.42, SD = 1.43), being 50.8% males. The results of the study indicated that students who practiced physical activity in the recommended frequency rated as healthy, at least four or more times per week, had higher values in the indicators of aggressiveness than students who practiced with a lower frequency, appreciating a greater relationship between both variables in male rather than in female students. The study will make progress in preventive and intervention programs whose central axis is the promotion of physical activity and healthy sport (non-competitive) among students involved in situations of bullying. Likewise, teacher training in the recognition of bullying is considered a priority, providing them with guidelines for action.

Impact of Self-Efficacy on The Quality of Life of Children With Asthma and Their Caregivers

INTRODUCTION

Health-related quality of life is an important outcome measurement in the monitoring of asthma control. Self-efficacy is a determinant of self-management behaviors that can contribute to the improvement of asthma control and quality of life. Our objective was to analyze the relationship between self-efficacy and quality of life in children with asthma and their caregivers.

METHODS

We included 176 patients aged 6-14 years with asthma, and determined their level of self-efficacy according to three groups (low, medium and high levels). Each child and their main caregiver completed the PAQLQ and PACQLQ questionnaires, respectively.

RESULTS

PAQLQ range=1-7: 5.61±1.11; PACQLQ range=1-7: 5.42±1.35; self-efficacy range=0-60: low level 28.44±4.58; average level 37.41±1.7, and high level 47.50±5.5. Significant differences were observed in quality of life according to low-medium vs. high levels of self-efficacy. Specific related domains: PAQLQ emotions and PAQLQ symptoms with self-efficacy in problem-solving skills related to asthma and treatment self-efficacy; PACQLQ emotions with self-efficacy in problem-solving skills related to asthma.

CONCLUSIONS

A high level of self-efficacy is associated with a better quality of life for children and their caregivers. Based on these results, the measurement of self-efficacy could be incorporated in the assessment of educational interventions in self-management targeted at the quality of life of the patient and his or her family.

Dimensions of parenting styles, social climate, and bullying victims in primary and secondary education

BACKGROUND

Bullying as a construct is found to be related to a variety of individual, parental and academic factors. Familial factors include family environment, parenting style and parental involvement. The main aim of this study is to find out how Primary and Secondary Education students perceive parenting styles and social climate and if there are differences between pupils from these two educational stages. The study also considers the relationship between these perceptions of bullying victims and certain peer socio-affective factors.

METHOD

Participants were 847 children and adolescents. School social climate and Family social climate were both evaluated using the Spanish version of Moos’ Family Social Climate Scale, and Parenting styles were evaluated according to the Parental Socialization Scale in Adolescence (ESPA29). Roles associated with bullying, and correlates of social reputation were measured using the Bull-S questionnaire.

RESULTS

There are differences in how primary and secondary education students perceive parenting styles and family climate.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental factors are related to bullying victimization and socio-affective group variables (social preference, acceptance or rejection levels, and the number of friends). The study highlighs risk and protective factors for victimization.

Risk and Protective Factors Associated to Peer School Victimization

The main objective of this study is to analyze the relationship between peer school victimization and some risk and protection factors and to compare the differences by role in victimization with those of non-involved bystanders. Our participants were 1,264 secondary students (M = 14.41, SD = 1.43) who participated voluntarily, although an informed consent was requested. A logistic regression model (LR) was used in order to identify the victim’s potential risks and protective factors related to non-involved bystanders. A multiple LR and a forward stepwise LR (Wald) were used. The results showed the variables related to the victim profile were: individual features (to be male, to be at the first cycle of compulsory Secondary Education and a few challenging behaviors), school environments (i.e., school adjustment), family environment (parental styles like authoritarianism) and social environment (i.e., friends who occasionally show a positive attitude toward drug consumption and easy access to drugs, access to drugs perceived as easy, rejection by peers or lack of social acceptance and social maladjustment). The results of the study will allow tackling prevention and intervention actions in schools, families, and social environment in order to improve coexistence at school and to assist the victimized students in the classroom.

Diferencias en conducta agresiva entre adolescentes españoles, chinos y mexicanos

La evidencia empírica ha revelado diferencias culturales en la expresión de la agresividad. El objetivo de este estudio fue analizar las diferencias de agresividad entre estudiantes españoles, mexicanos y chinos de Educación Secundaria. La escala de Conducta Antisocial del Teenage Inventory of Social Skills (TISS) fue administrada a 420 españoles, 532 mexicanos y 431 chinos, con edades comprendidas entre los 12 y los 15 años. Los análisis de varianza mostraron que los estudiantes chinos presentaron niveles significativamente más altos de agresividad que los estudiantes españoles y mexicanos, no encontrándose diferencias entre los dos últimos grupos. Este patrón de resultados fue similar por género y edad. Así, todas las submuestras de estudiantes chinos (chicos, chicas, 12-13 años y 14-15 años) informaron niveles significativamente más altos de agresividad que sus iguales españoles y mexicanos. Sin embargo, las diferencias encontradas fueron de magnitud pequeña y moderada. Los resultados son discutidos de acuerdo con las dimensiones culturales de individualismo vs. colectivismo y distancia de poder.

[Gender and age differences in the cognitive, psychophysiological, and behavioral responses of social anxiety in adolescence]

The aim of this study was to analyze gender and age differences in adolescents' social anxiety in the factor scores of the Social Phobia subscale from the Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SP-SPAI): Social Interactions, Focus of Attention, Cognitive and Somatic Symptoms and Avoidance and Escape Behaviors. The sample consisted of 2,543 students of Secondary Education between 12 and 17 years. Results are shown for the general sample (N= 2,543) and for the sample of adolescents classified as high social anxiety group (n= 317). Regarding the first group, girls obtained higher total scores on the Social Phobia scale and on all factors except for Avoidance and Escape (d= .32 - .35). Concerning the high anxiety group, the analyses revealed that boys avoid and escape from social situations more frequently than girls (d= .23). No age differences were found in the factor scores for any of the two samples.

Conducta prosocial y motivación académica en estudiantes españoles de educación secundaria obligatoria

Este estudio analizó la relación entre conducta prosocial y metas académicas en una muestra de 2.022 estudiantes españoles. La conducta prosocial fue medida con la escala de Conducta Prosocial del Teenage Inventory of Social Skills (TISS) y las metas académicas mediante el Achievement Goal Tendencies Questionnaire (AGTQ). Los resultados revelaron que los estudiantes con alta conducta prosocial presentaron puntuaciones significativamente más altas en metas de aprendizaje y logro. La conducta prosocial fue un predictor positivo y estadísticamente significativo de metas de aprendizaje y logro. Además, las metas de aprendizaje y logro fueron predictores positivos y estadísticamente significativos de la conducta prosocial, mientas que las metas de refuerzo social fueron un predictor negativo y estadísticamente significativo de la conducta prosocial.

Propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Autoeficacia Percibida Específica de Situaciones Académicas en una muestra de estudiantes españoles de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria

El objetivo de este estudio consistió en analizar las propiedades psicométricas de la Escala de Autoeficacia Percibida Específica de Situaciones Académicas en una muestra de 656 estudiantes españoles de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de 12 a 16 años. Los análisis factoriales revelaron que la EAPESA presenta una estructura unidimensional, con coeficientes de consistencia interna (0.89) y fiabilidad test-retest (0.87) adecuados. Las relaciones entre autoeficacia académica, metas académicas, autoconcepto académico y rendimiento escolar apoyaron la validez de constructo de la escala. Los modelos de regresión logística para la predicción del rendimiento académico a partir de la autoeficacia y la predicción de ésta a partir del rendimiento apoyaron empíricamente el papel autorregulatorio de la autoeficacia ya que la probabilidad de presentar alta autoeficacia aumenta un 94% por cada punto que aumenta la nota media, mientras que la probabilidad de presentar éxito académico aumenta un 8% al incrementarse la autoeficacia académica percibida.