Victimization

Not all groups are equally likely to be subject to acts of aggression; specific subgroups are more likely to be victimized. For example, youth who identify as a sexual minority are more likely to be victims of traditional forms of bullying than their heterosexual friends. There has been less research, however, on population subgroups and the likelihood of becoming a victim of cyber aggression. In exploring this topic, this chapter examines several questions including, “How important is the amount of time spent online as an intermediate variable in predicting whether an individual will become a victim of cyber aggression?” and “Does sexual orientation impact the likelihood of being a victim of cyberaggression above and beyond the amount of time spent online?” Multivariate statistical methods and survey data from the Pew Research Center for the year 2014 was used in this analysis.

Current Problems of Preventing Aggressive Behavior in the Educational Environment: A Case Study of Three Schools in the Russian Countryside

Among the most acute socio-pedagogical problems facing the modern Russian school is the increasing number of aggressive manifestations in the educational environment. This situation actualizes the schools need for the prevention and correction of aggressive behavior. The article presents the results of a socio-pedagogical research, the purpose of which was to identify the types and forms of aggressive behavior in the educational environment and to explore the current state of preventive work. The study was conducted by the Institute for the Study of Childhood, Family and Upbringing in July 2021 in the form of a questionnaire survey of directors of educational organizations. The methodology of the research included a socio-pedagogical analysis of situations of aggressive manifestations among students, teachers and parents; study of social, environmental, family and personal factors of aggressive behavior; and identification of mechanisms for preventing aggressive behavior in the educational environment. The results are presented in the format of socio-psychological portraits of three schools located in the countryside, which are prominent representatives of Russian rural society. The study made it possible to draw the following main conclusions: (1) preventive work becomes an independent type of pedagogical work; (2) cyber-aggression, which was actively manifested during the period of distance learning and now requires comprehensive preventive work with students, teachers, and parents, is an over-pressing problem for educational organizations; (3) todays school is faced with the urgent task of developing and implementing programs for the prevention and correction of aggressive behavior. The ideas presented in the article can be used in the practice of educational organizations of different types.

¿El alumnado que participa en violencia escolar, también participa en episodios de agresión cibernética?

Access to information and digital knowledge is an advantage for human development, however, it is also an opportunity for its inappropriate and excessive use. The objective of the study is to describe the roles of participation of school violence, based on their participation in episodes of cyber aggression: Flamming, Denigration, Impersonation, Outing and Trickery, Happy Slapping, Grooming, Exclusion, Cyberstalking, and Harrassment.The research was quantitative with descriptive study and cross-sectional design. 411 high school students from the State of Mexico participated. Two instruments were used, one to measure school violence (α=.95) and the second to measure nine types of cyber aggression (α=.97). A multivariate clustering o conglomerate analysis (k-means) was done to describe groups of students based on school violence, identifying three groups: victims, doble role (victim-bully) and not involved in school violence, from the classification a contrast of means (one-way ANOVA) was made to describe the different types of cyber-aggressive behaviors exhibited by the identified groups. The first conclusion refers that when you are the victim of school violence (face to face), it will also be victims of school violence in virtual environments: flamming, denigration, impersonation, outing and trickery, happy slapping, grooming, exclusion and harassment. It is also concluded that those who participate with a doble role in school violence participate as victims and bully, reproducing violence in virtual environments, which should be taken into account for prevention and intervention program.

Understanding Online Disinhibition: An Investigation of the Relationship Between Information and Communication Technology and Adolescent Personality, Identity, and Behaviour

<p>A series of investigations were carried out to gain a better understanding of the influence of adolescent personality and identity in predicting online disinhibition. Taking a person-centred approach, the thesis tested whether distinct youth profiles of information and communication technology usage preferences, as well as unique motives of Internet use, would emerge among two adolescent samples; and second, whether these distinct profiles were significantly associated with maladaptive outcomes of personality, identity, and offline and online behaviour. In addition, this thesis also included a specific investigation of the predictive effects of the dark personality traits of narcissism, sadism, and psychopathy on self-perceptions, online disinhibition, and cyber aggression. Study 1 involved two major objectives, first, by using a sample of 933 adolescents, it aimed to identify groups of adolescents who share similar communication technology use habits based on their time spent interacting with various digital communication devices and associated online platforms. Results indicated four distinct profiles of technology use preferences. The second objective of Study 1 was to investigate the degree to which these distinct usage preferences predicted indicators of maladaptive identity and offline behaviours. Most notably, immoral behaviours and compromised identity outcomes were found to be highest among those adolescents who displayed a preference for elevated communication technology use. Overall, the findings illustrate that important constructs of both identity and behaviour are associated with individual communication technology usage preferences. Employing a large sample of 709 adolescents (Mage = 15.56 years), Study 2 was constructed to explore the direct effects of narcissism, sadism, psychopathy, and false self perceptions on online disinhibition and cyber aggression. Path model results indicated that all three dark personality traits, as well as false self, were positively associated with online disinhibition. Second, potential relationships among the dark personality traits, false self perceptions, online disinhibition, and cyber aggression were also examined, and psychopathy, sadistic traits, and online disinhibition were found to be significant predictors of aggressive online behaviour chiefly through indirect effects through false self and online disinhibition. The Study 2 findings collectively provide a more nuanced understanding of how antisocial personality traits are associated with maladaptive identity formation as well as online disinhibition. Finally, in Study 3, using latent profile analysis, distinct group differences behind adolescent motivations (as opposed to Internet habits studied in Study 1) for Internet and social media use were explored. In addition, we examined how personality, false self perceptions, and online disinhibition differed as a function of these motivation classes. Results revealed three discernable profiles of Internet and social media motives where adolescents either exhibited high, medium, or low levels of motives for engaging with the online world. Notably, self-report levels of sadism, perceptions of false self, and online disinhibition were highest among adolescents belonging to the group of youth who exhibited the highest overall motivations for Internet and social media use. In combination, these studies illustrate the importance of considering adolescents as active and decisive consumers of various ICT outlets, as well as online content and platform selection. The thesis highlights how particularly high online engagement is associated with high levels of dysfunctional identity and behaviour, and how personality underlies unique motives to engage with particular online content. The thesis findings also highlight the important role identity construction may play in media selection and engagement, and how a breakdown in identity formation can result in an increase in poor behavioural control online. In conclusion, the study results illuminate that not all engagement with the online world is detrimental to youth, but rather individual characteristics of a developing teen (i.e., personality factors) can predispose adolescents to the online disinhibition effect.</p>

Understanding Online Disinhibition: An Investigation of the Relationship Between Information and Communication Technology and Adolescent Personality, Identity, and Behaviour

<p>A series of investigations were carried out to gain a better understanding of the influence of adolescent personality and identity in predicting online disinhibition. Taking a person-centred approach, the thesis tested whether distinct youth profiles of information and communication technology usage preferences, as well as unique motives of Internet use, would emerge among two adolescent samples; and second, whether these distinct profiles were significantly associated with maladaptive outcomes of personality, identity, and offline and online behaviour. In addition, this thesis also included a specific investigation of the predictive effects of the dark personality traits of narcissism, sadism, and psychopathy on self-perceptions, online disinhibition, and cyber aggression. Study 1 involved two major objectives, first, by using a sample of 933 adolescents, it aimed to identify groups of adolescents who share similar communication technology use habits based on their time spent interacting with various digital communication devices and associated online platforms. Results indicated four distinct profiles of technology use preferences. The second objective of Study 1 was to investigate the degree to which these distinct usage preferences predicted indicators of maladaptive identity and offline behaviours. Most notably, immoral behaviours and compromised identity outcomes were found to be highest among those adolescents who displayed a preference for elevated communication technology use. Overall, the findings illustrate that important constructs of both identity and behaviour are associated with individual communication technology usage preferences. Employing a large sample of 709 adolescents (Mage = 15.56 years), Study 2 was constructed to explore the direct effects of narcissism, sadism, psychopathy, and false self perceptions on online disinhibition and cyber aggression. Path model results indicated that all three dark personality traits, as well as false self, were positively associated with online disinhibition. Second, potential relationships among the dark personality traits, false self perceptions, online disinhibition, and cyber aggression were also examined, and psychopathy, sadistic traits, and online disinhibition were found to be significant predictors of aggressive online behaviour chiefly through indirect effects through false self and online disinhibition. The Study 2 findings collectively provide a more nuanced understanding of how antisocial personality traits are associated with maladaptive identity formation as well as online disinhibition. Finally, in Study 3, using latent profile analysis, distinct group differences behind adolescent motivations (as opposed to Internet habits studied in Study 1) for Internet and social media use were explored. In addition, we examined how personality, false self perceptions, and online disinhibition differed as a function of these motivation classes. Results revealed three discernable profiles of Internet and social media motives where adolescents either exhibited high, medium, or low levels of motives for engaging with the online world. Notably, self-report levels of sadism, perceptions of false self, and online disinhibition were highest among adolescents belonging to the group of youth who exhibited the highest overall motivations for Internet and social media use. In combination, these studies illustrate the importance of considering adolescents as active and decisive consumers of various ICT outlets, as well as online content and platform selection. The thesis highlights how particularly high online engagement is associated with high levels of dysfunctional identity and behaviour, and how personality underlies unique motives to engage with particular online content. The thesis findings also highlight the important role identity construction may play in media selection and engagement, and how a breakdown in identity formation can result in an increase in poor behavioural control online. In conclusion, the study results illuminate that not all engagement with the online world is detrimental to youth, but rather individual characteristics of a developing teen (i.e., personality factors) can predispose adolescents to the online disinhibition effect.</p>

Social Media and Cyber-Bullying in Autistic Adults

Social media can lead to rejection, cyber-bullying victimisation, and cyber-aggression, and these experiences are not fully understood as experienced by autistic adults. To investigate this, 78 autistic adults completed self-report measures of social media use, cyber-bullying victimisation, cyber-aggression, and self-esteem. High levels of social media use were found to be associated with an increased risk of cyber-victimisation; whereas self-esteem was positively correlated with feelings of belonging to an online community and negatively correlated with feelings of being ignored on social network sites and chat rooms. Future studies are needed to further investigate the experience of cyber-bullying victimisation of autistic adults.