When parents are inconsistent: Parenting style and adolescents' involvement in cyberbullying

Child Indicators Research

In recent years, several studies have examined the effect of parents and friends on cyberbullying victims. Less is known about their combined effect on cyber perpetrators, especially among Jewish and Arab teens in Israel. We collected data from a representative sample of 350 Jewish and Arab adolescents (aged 15-16) and their parents. We repeated the interviews twice within a year. The survey included measurements of three parental practices: support, monitoring, and protectiveness, as reported by parents at the first time of data collection. We measured the adolescents' engagement in sensation-seeking and cyberbullying as perpetrators and perceptions about peers' involvement in these behaviors. Path-analysis models revealed that the perception of peers' involvement in cyberbullying perpetration was positively linked with involvement in such behavior among Jewish and Arab teens. Contrary to our expectations, no parental practice had a direct effect on cyberbullying perpetration among teens in either ethnic group. The study presents important and unique findings. The results indicate that youngsters involved in cyberbullying are strongly influenced by their peers. The prevalence of this pattern in both the Jewish and the Arab populations indicates its universal nature. On a practical level, it may be suggested that bullying behaviors may be mitigated by taking measures in formal and informal education. Another aspect of the results is the decline in parental influence on adolescents' cyberbullying behaviors, especially among Arab teens. This may be an indicator of cultural changes taking place in the Arab population in Israel alongside widening of the generation gap.

Heliyon, 2019

We examined how normative beliefs about cyberbullying influenced the choice of electronic aggression in hypothetical peer-to-peer scenarios. Data was collected from 1097 Israeli and 1196 U.S. students in grades 5 th-10 th , who completed self-report surveys examining normative beliefs about cyberbullying, aggressive cyberstrategies, face-to-face verbal and relational aggression, and access to electronic devices. Israeli students had higher levels of all aggression measures than U.S. students, but access to electronic devices was similar across the two countries. Normative beliefs about cyberbullying were positively associated with verbal and relational aggression. In Israeli, normative beliefs in boys were higher than girls in 5 th and 6 th grade, similar in 7 th and 8 th grade, and then higher again in 9 th and 10 th grade. In the U.S., boys had higher normative beliefs about cyberbullying than girls, and older students had higher beliefs than younger students. Findings using logistic regression indicated that normative beliefs about cyberbullying were predictive of Cyber-aggression even when taking into account grade, country, gender, access to electronic devices, and face-to-face relational aggression. Cyber-aggressive strategies were more likely to be present at the highest level of normative beliefs. Ways to change student beliefs using a social cognitive perspective are discussed.

Education and Information Technologies, 2015

The use of the internet among teenagers has increased in recent years and nearly 92 % of all teenagers in Israel surf the internet. This study examined the characteristics of involvement in cyberbullying among 114 adolescents in the Muslim Arab sector, and its relationships with emotional aspects. The students completed questionnaires regarding cyberbullying and face-to-face bullying, loneliness and anxiety. Results show that more students experience cyberbullying (82 %) than face-to-face bullying (42 %). The students who were cybervictims reported higher levels of loneliness and anxiety. No gender differences were found. The development of intervention programs is recommended in order to raise awareness, equip students with the appropriate tools to cope effectively with cyberbullying, and allocate resources to reduce and eventually prevent this phenomenon.

Frontiers in Psychiatry, 2023

Social Psychology of Education, 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in cyberbullying (bystanders, victims, bullies) between Jewish and Arab adolescents in Israel. The findings could uncover critical implications for children, educators, and policymakers for understanding Cyberbullying in a diverse society. In particular, the differences in cyberbullying between collective and individualistic societies and the effect of gender bias on the likelihood of engaging in cyberbullying. Two cultural contexts in Israel were explored: one representing a collectivist orientation (Arab-Muslim and Arab-Christian culture), the other representing a more individualistic orientation (Jewish culture). The study included 901 junior high and high school students (501 Jewish-Israelis and 400 Arab-Israelis), which filled in an online cyberbullying survey. Findings revealed that Jewish adolescents reported being cybervictims and cyberbystanders more than Arab adolescents, yet contrary to expectation, Arab adolescents reported being cyberbullies more than Jewish adolescents. Contrary to expectation, no gender differences in being a bully were found among Jewish adolescents, while among Arab adolescents, girls reported higher bullying than boys. The cultural difference was significant among girls, revealing that Jewish girls were higher than Arab girls on bystanding and victimization, yet Arab girls were higher than Jewish girls on bullying in cyberspace. The cultural difference was not significant among boys. Using online communication as a theoretical framework, this study observed aspects of cyberbullying in the diverse and multicultural society of Israel through the lenses of individualistic versus collectivist cultures. The

Social Sciences, 2018

Cyberbullying victimization and perpetration are associated with poor mental health outcomes for adolescents, including depressive symptoms, anxiety, and suicide ideation. Although most cyberbullying occurs at home, few interventions have been developed for parents of adolescents. We examined parental connectedness and parental online monitoring in relation to cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, with the goal of understanding how parents buffer young teens from involvement in cyberbullying. We leveraged data from an existing study involving three racially and ethnically diverse middle schools in a metropolitan area in the Midwest of the U.S. (n = 570). In the spring of sixth grade, students reported on cyberbullying involvement, parental connectedness, and parental monitoring. Greater parental connectedness was related to a lower likelihood of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration in logistic regression models. Parental monitoring of online activities was not relate...

International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health

The rise of technology has increased risks such as problematic internet use or cyberbullying. Data show that there is problematic use of the internet, which has important repercussions academically, personally, socially and for health. The objective of this study was to identify different profiles that vary according to intra- and interpersonal conflicts related to internet use. In addition, this study aimed to examine whether there are significant differences in bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents with a conflict related to internet use. The study participants were 810 students of Compulsory Secondary Education (M = 13.99, SD = 1.32). The Questionnaire on School Violence and the Questionnaire of Experiences Related to Internet was use. The latent profile analysis identified four different types of conflicts related to internet use: (a) high levels in intra- and interpersonal conflicts; (b) low levels intra- and interpersonal conflicts; (c) moderate intra- and interpersonal...

Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences, 2014

The aim of the study was to examine whether and to what extent parenting practices create a suitable ground and/or enhance Greek adolescents' involvement in cyberbullying either as cyber-bullies or cyber-victims and whether adolescents' gender and parents' educational level are differentiating factors of cyberbullying at puberty. The results with a sample of 396 secondary school students showed that: (a) parenting style was not a statistically significant predictor of adolescent cyber victimization; on the contrary, seemed to be a significant predictor of cyberbullying manifestation, since adolescents with authoritative parents exhibited the lowest levels of cyberbullying behaviors while adolescents with authoritarian parents the highest; (b) adolescents with authoritative parents tended to communicate more frequently to them the cyberbullying experiences they might have than adolescents with permissive, neglectful or authoritarian parents; (c) gender and parents' educational level were not a significant differentiating factor of cyberbullying behavior.

Qualitative Health Research, 2018

Cyberbullying is often defined as "an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or an individual, using electronic forms of contact" (Smith et al., 2008, p. 376). While numerous studies have established the incidence and prevalence of the problem, few have examined the problem from the perspective of the actual victims. The purpose of this study was to explain the social and psychological processes involved in cyberbullying from the perspectives of those who have been victimized. Beyond Schoolyard Bullying Cyberbullying is often viewed under the same framework as traditional (face-to-face) bullying. However, defining cyberbullying simply as an electronic venue for traditional bullying discounts the many complexities of the phenomenon (Dooley, Pyzalski, & Cross, 2009). Cyberbullying has many of the characteristics of traditional bullying: intent to harm, a real or perceived power imbalance, and repetition (Nansel et al., 2001; Vandebosch & Cleemput, 2008). However, unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can occur across time and geographical boundaries, allowing for more far-reaching effects. A single harassing comment, demeaning web page, or inappropriate photo or video can be disseminated worldwide through electronic means, with the potential to drastically increase the impact of victimization. Traditional bullying generally involves an obvious power imbalance, with a smaller or weaker individual being physically overpowered by a larger, stronger individual. With cyberbullying, physical strength is not a factor, and the perceived power imbalance is instead related to technological know-how and Internet access (Law, Shapka, Hymel, Olson, & Waterhouse, 2012). Cyberbullying can take place across multiple venues, including text messaging, email, voicemail, social media, and the Web. Thus, cyberbullies can choose to remain anonymous, which can have significant psychological consequences for the victim, as he or she is left wondering if the bully is a stranger, a peer, or even a friend (Sevcikova, Smahel, & Otavova, 2012). By remaining anonymous, the bully also limits the opportunity for intervention by others and can cause fear as an "invisible" attacker (Slonje & Smith, 2008). Cyberbullying can invade areas where traditional bullying victims may feel safe. With face-to-face bullying, the victim can often find relief at home, in the safety of his or her bedroom. Cyberbullying, in contrast, allows the perpetrator to stalk the victim at any place and time (Bauman, 2010).