Academic, Socio-emotional and Demographic Characteristics of Adolescents Involved in Traditional Bullying, Cyberbullying, or Both: Looking at Variables and Persons
Issue title: 21st ‘Workshop on Aggression’: Socio-Emotional Programs – Preventing Aggression November 2016, Baile Felix, Romania
Affiliations: [a]
Theology School, Church of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
| [b]
Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus
| [c]
University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, Linz, Austria
Correspondence:
[*]
Address for correspondence: Olga Solomontos-Kountouri, Theology School, Church of Cyprus, 1-7, Isokratous Street,
1016, Nicosia, Cyprus. Tel.: +357 22443063; Fax: +357 22443050; E-mail: o.solomontos-kountouri@theo.ac.cy.
Abstract: The present paper (1) examined variables, which could predict traditional bullying, cyberbullying, traditional victimization and cyber-victimization and (2) looked at persons to examine whether academic, socio-emotional and demographic characteristics differed between traditional, cyber and mixed bullies, victims and bully-victims. A sample of 2,329 gymnasium students (50% girls, Mage = 13.08, SD = 0.86) from 120 classes, grade 7 to 9, from six Cypriot schools, completed self-report questionnaires. Traditional bullying was predicted by cyberbullying and socio-emotional, academic and demographic variables. Cyberbullying was predicted by traditional bullying and academic variables. Traditional victimization was predicted by cyber-victimization, socio-emotional variables and being male. Cyber-victimization was predicted by traditional victimization and academic variables. Compared with uninvolved adolescents, traditional, cyber and mixed bullies had lower levels of academic variables; traditional and mixed victims had higher levels of emotional problems and affective empathy; and mixed bully-victims had lower levels of both academic and socio-emotional variables. Implications for intervention and prevention are discussed.
