INFORMATION

Psicothema was founded in Asturias (northern Spain) in 1989, and is published jointly by the Psychology Faculty of the University of Oviedo and the Psychological Association of the Principality of Asturias (Colegio Oficial de Psicología del Principado de Asturias).
We currently publish four issues per year, which accounts for some 100 articles annually. We admit work from both the basic and applied research fields, and from all areas of Psychology, all manuscripts being anonymously reviewed prior to publication.

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  • Director: Laura E. Gómez Sánchez
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  • ISSN: 0214-9915
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Cyberbullies, the Cyberbullied, and Problematic Internet Use: Some Reasonable Similarities

Sandra Feijóo1, Mairéad Foody2, James O’Higgins Norman2, Rafael Pichel1, and Antonio Rial1


1 University of Santiago de Compostela, and 2 Dublin City University

Background: The spread of the internet and Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) have completely changed society in the last few decades. The transfer of traditional face-to-face bullying to the virtual environment is one of the risks adolescents face in this new reality. The present study sought to explore the relationship between involvement in cyberbullying and behaviours such as internet and mobile usage and other risky online behaviours. Method: The sample consisted of 3,188 adolescents aged 12-17 years old (Mean= 14.44; SD= 1.67). Results: The application of the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ) found that 5.2% were victims, 4.5% perpetrators and 4.3% bully-victims. Conclusions: Results also showed that cyberbullying seems to be associated with both Problematic Internet Use and behaviours such as sexting, gambling and contacting strangers, which suggests a need for a comprehensive approach for preventing all these issues. Moreover, parental monitoring could serve as a modulating factor, which should also be taken into account in the development of appropriate prevention strategies.

Ciberacosados, Ciberacosadores y Uso Problemático de Internet: Algunos Parecidos Razonables. Antecedentes: el uso generalizado de Internet y de las Tecnologías de la Información y las Comunicaciones (TIC) ha cambiado completamente la sociedad en las últimas décadas. La transferencia del tradicional acoso escolar al entorno virtual es uno de los riesgos a los que se enfrentan los adolescentes en esta nueva realidad. El presente estudio se planteó como objetivo explorar la relación entre ciberacoso y uso de Internet y teléfono móvil y otras conductas de riesgo en línea. Método: la muestra estuvo compuesta por 3.188 adolescentes de entre 12 y 17 años (Media= 14,44; DT= 1,67). Resultados: tras aplicar el European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIPQ) se encontró que el 5,2% eran víctimas, 4,5% agresores y el 4,3% víctimas-agresoras. Conclusiones: el ciberacoso parece estar asociado tanto al uso problemático de Internet como a comportamientos como el sexting, el juego online o el contacto con desconocidos a través de la Red, lo que sugiere la necesidad de un enfoque integral a nivel de prevención. Además, la supervisión parental constituiría un importante elemento modulador, lo cual debe ser tenido en cuenta para la elaboración de estrategias preventivas eficaces.

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