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Bullying and cyberbullying are studied all over the world. Nevertheless, even though prevalence rates are extremely high in the poor countries, not much attention is paid to them. Similarly, unequal attention is being paid to different topics. Thus, this work is a review of the studies with the highest impact on the field, pointing out what is already broadly recognized and raising concern about issues which still need more attention. With this purpose, the ten most cited articles on bullying and also on cyberbullying in each year published throughout the whole history of research in the field were analyzed. In total 309 articles were analyzed in categories such as the number of authors, country of origin, international collaboration, journal, field and main topic. Results show that most of the highly cited papers come from Northern Europe and Northern America, that teamwork and international collaboration increased with time and that the highest percentage of articles were published in the field of psychology. The vast majority of articles focused on the nature and dynamics of the phenomena and also on related variables. More studies are needed in relation to involvement of minorities and, above all, on prevention and intervention in bullying and cyberbullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullying and cyberbullying are present all over the world and have serious consequences for individuals and societies. The number of research studies on the topic has increased exponentially throughout the history, but many questions related to the phenomena remain unanswered. The current study is a systematic review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses on the topic. Systematic searches were conducted in 7 databases and Aggressive and Violent Behavior journal. A total number of 66 studies met the inclusion criteria. The main findings are that one of every three children is involved in some forms of bullying and one of every five in some forms of cyberbullying. Boys are more involved than girls but with small or trivial effect sizes, and relationship with age is also weak. There is strong overlap between bullying and cyberbullying and bullying is an important problem among minorities. Results show risk and protective factors for bullying and cyberbullying, together with short- and long-term devastating consequences. Anti-bullying interventions are usually effective in reducing bullying, although the effect sizes are small and depend on the components of the programs. Bullying and cyberbullying evaluation strategies need to be improved. Findings are discussed introducing also the Special Issue on Bullying, Cyberbullying and Youth Violence: Facts, Prevention and Intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Defending the victim in bullying situations is a moral behavior that has received increasing attention in the literature. However, important questions about the development and maintenance of defending behaviors remain unanswered. The present study adopted a longitudinal design with two main goals: (a) identifying trajectories of change in individuals' defending behavior over time and (b) describing and comparing the initial levels and dynamics of change in normative and social adjustment and self-perceived popularity between the different defending trajectories. A total of 3303 students (49.8% girls; Wave 1 M age = 12.61 years; SD = 1.47) participated in the study. Data were collected in four waves with self-report questionnaires. Using growth mixture modeling, we found four defending trajectories (84% stable-high, 5% decrease, 4% increase, and 7% stable-low). Growth mixture model multigroup and comparative analyses found that adolescents in the stable-high defending group exhibited the highest initial levels of normative adjustment (M intercept = 5.47), social adjustment (M intercept = 5.48), and self-perceived popularity (M intercept = 5). Adolescents in the decrease defending group tended to reduce their normative adjustment over time (M slope = −0.09), whereas the increase defending group increased their social adjustment (M slope = 0.18) and self-perceived popularity (M slope = −0.04). The stable-low defending group showed low and stable levels of normative adjustment (M intercept = 5.01), social adjustment (M intercept = 5.03), and self-perceived popularity (M intercept = 4.4). These results indicate a strong association between normative and social adjustment and self-perceived popularity and involvement in defending behaviors. Bullying prevention programs could improve by adding a stronger focus on the development of classroom dynamics that promote adjusted behaviors and class-group cohesion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Research on bullying and cyberbullying is advancing at the international level, but there are some geographic areas where the number of studies on these topics still needs to be increased. More research about bullying and cyberbullying is needed in Poland and validated questionnaires to measure these two aggressive behaviors could be useful. This study was conducted with 1052 Polish elementary and middle school students. Two European questionnaires to measure bullying and cyberbullying were validated and different bullying behaviors and roles were described. It was found that rates of bullying and cyberbullying in Poland are high. Bullying is more prevalent than cyberbullying. Bullying victimization was more prevalent in girls and in younger children when compared to boys and adolescents. Bullying perpetration and being a bully/victim were more prevalent in boys and adolescents when compared to girls and younger children. Involvement in any cyberbullying role was more prevalent in adolescents than in younger children. Being a cyberbully/victim was more prevalent in boys, and no gender differences were found in other cyberbullying roles. There was a strong overlap between bullying and cyberbullying. Results of this study have implications for policy and practice and show that anti-bullying programs in Poland are needed. Highlights • More research on bullying and cyberbullying in Poland is needed • This study was conducted with over 1000 Polish children and adolescents • Two European questionnaires to measure bullying and cyberbullying were validated • The prevalence rates of bullying and cyberbullying in Poland are relatively high • More anti-bullying interventions in Poland are urgently needed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyberbullying is one of the most disturbing characteristics regarding the relationship between adolescents on the Internet. Although a longitudinal overview of the trajectories that adolescents may develop has been established, there is a lack of understanding of these when both perpetration and victimization are considered together. The present study aimed to analyze the joint trajectories between cyberbullying perpetration and victimization among highly involved adolescents and to examine whether these profiles are associated with social adjustment, need for popularity and perceived popularity (off and online). A total of 3012 adolescents (M AgeT1 = 13.15, SD = 1.09; 50% girls) aged 11–16 participated in the study at four time points (each six months apart). The results of growth mixture modelling yielded a four-class solution for cyberbullying victimization and perpetration separately for those adolescents highly involved. When unified in a parallel process, this resulted in three distinct profiles: decrease both, increase perpetration, and increase both. Finally, multi-group growth mixture models indicated that these profiles showed differences in baseline and evolution of social adjustment, need for popularity and popularity. The findings support the relevance of considering the evolution of both perpetration and victimization when preventing cyberbullying, as well as addressing the psychosocial adjustment and motivations for behavior of those involved. • Longitudinal trajectories of cyberbullying have a common and differing development in perpetration and victimization. • Adolescents involved in cyberbullying showed lower social adjustment and higher need for popularity and popularity. • Decrease perpetration and victimization over time was associated with a decrease in the need for popularity. • Social adjustment and popularity increased over time in the increase perpetration class (and victimization decreased). • Social adjustment decreased over time in the increase perpetration and victimization class. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unjustified aggression in early childhood education has received less scientific attention due to the methodological and ethical difficulties involved in working with children. This limitation has generated a degree of conceptual ambiguity, due to the methodological and procedural diversity employed by researchers. The aim of this study is to provide a systematic review on unjustified aggression and victimization in the classroom in early childhood over the last decade. Following the guidelines set by Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA), a total of 3905 articles published between 2011 and 2021 were reviewed, which were narrowed down to a final sample of 52 papers that met the inclusion criteria. The results indicated a low scientific production, in which the existing research comes almost exclusively from developed countries, where 57.70 % were carried out with samples of less than 250 participants. A total of 67.31 % of these studies have used teachers' reports to obtain the information, victimization does not feature highly in these studies, and there are few longitudinal studies in this respect. The results are discussed in relation to both the need to reconceptualize the construct and the need to standardize the methodology to obtain more robust data on this interpersonal classroom dynamic in early childhood. • Unjustified aggression in children receives less scientific attention. • More than half of the studies are conducted with samples of less than 250 schoolchildren. • Two out of three studies use teacher report to obtain information. • In recent years, victimization studies and longitudinal designs are increasing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective: In Chile, between 7 and 24% of young people claim to be victims of physical violence in their romantic relationships, but there is a lack of validated questionnaires to measure these behaviors and research in this area is still limited. Due to this fact, adapting and validating the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS; Straus, 1979 ; Straus et al., 1996) with multi-group confirmatory factor analysis was conducted in this paper; afterword, it aims to analyze the violence involvement within the young couples (dating violence) in Chile, and its association with the perceived quality of the relationship. Method: 1283 university students participated (69.1% women; 30.9% men; mean age = 21.94; s.d. = 1.871). Results: A bi-factorial model of the CTS (moderate vs severe behaviors) with sex invariance among the youth population in Chile was confirmed. Between 15 and 25% of involvement in moderate violence was pointed out; these behaviors have high percentages of reciprocity and are occasional. The negative quality variables such as imbalance of power or conflicts are related to higher rates of involvement in violence, but not the positive quality variables such as communication. Conclusions: this paper represents a novel contribution for Dating Violence analysis in the Latin American context; it establishes a validated and invariance measure for analyzing Dating Violence with Chilean youth population, and pointed out high rates of involvement on this violent behaviors. Its value for the development of precautionary policies and suitable intervention has to be considered. Highlights • CTS adaptation is a validated and stable instrument for dating violence measurement in the youth population of Chile. • Physical Dating Violence rates in Chile is comparable to some European countries with similar culture characteristics. • The aggressive dynamics established within these couples are mainly correlated with negative relationship quality scales. • The need for education on this subject is clear for avoiding violence and allows people to enjoy love. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies concerning parenting styles and disciplinary practices have shown a relationship between both factors and bullying involvement in adolescence. The scarce available evidence suggests that abusive disciplinary practices increase teenagers’ vulnerability to abuse in school or the likelihood of them becoming abusers of their peers in the same context. However, there is a lack of knowledge about the indirect effect of parenting styles in adolescents’ bullying involvement through disciplinary practices, although a relationship between parenting styles and disciplinary practices has been shown. The aim of this research was to determine the mediating role of punitive parental discipline (physical punishment and psychological aggression) between the dimensions of parents’ parenting styles and their children's involvement in bullying victimization and aggression. We used a sample comprising 2060 Spanish high school students (47.9% girls; mean age = 14.34). Structural equation modeling was performed to analyze the data. The results confirmed the mediating role of parental discipline between the parenting practices analyzed and students’ aggression and victimization. Significant gender-related differences were found for aggression involvement, where boys were for the most part linked to psychological aggression disciplinary practices and girls to physical punishment. Victimization directly correlated with parental psychological aggression discipline behavior across both sexes. In conclusion, the results seem to suggest that non-democratic parenting styles favor the use of punitive discipline, which increases the risk of adolescents’ bullying involvement. Therefore, intervention programs must involve parents to make them aware about the important role they play in this process and to improve their parenting styles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decade, cyberbullying has become an increasing concern which has been addressed by diverse theoretical and methodological approaches. As a result there is a debate about its nature and rigorously validated assessment instruments have not yet been validated. In this context, in the present study an instrument composed of 22 items representing the different types of behaviours and actions that define cyberbullying has been structurally validated and its cross-cultural robustness has been calculated for the two main dimensions: cyber-victimization and cyber-aggression. To this end, 5679 secondary school students from six European countries (Spain, Germany, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom, and Greece) were surveyed through this self-report questionnaire which was designed based on previously existing instruments and the most relevant conceptual elements. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted and the global internal consistency was computed for the instrument and its two dimensions. Identical factor structures were found across all of the six subsamples. The results contribute to existing research by providing an instrument, the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, which has been structurally validated in a wide sample from six different countries and that is useful to evaluate psycho-educative interventions against cyberbullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is certain controversy on whether cyber-bullying is a category of bullying as it appears in a very different scenario away from the schools. The objective of this research has been to know if the variables that predict the involvement of youngsters in traditional bullying are also predictor of the appearance of cyber-bullying. Accordingly, we have looked for the similarities and the differences existing in the involvement on these phenomena. The sample is composed by secondary school pupils (n =893, 45.9% girls; age , SD=1.47). The results show that there are multiple relations between the predictor variables of school bullying and the specific variables of virtual environments that predict cyber-bullying. It has been obtained a new model that explains both phenomena which could be a strong evidence to base future interventions to prevent and reduce these problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• New insights on risk and protective factors for cyberbullying. • A prospective longitudinal study with a sample of adolescents. • High level of moral disengagement through technology predicts involvement in cyberbullying. • Online empathy role in cyberbullying seems unclear when other predictors are considered. Cyberbullying is a form of peer-aggression performed using electronic devices, by one or more individuals, with the intention to harm the cybervictims, who have difficulties in defending themselves. Diverse interpersonal variables such as empathy and mechanisms such as moral disengagement are involved in face-to-face and online interpersonal interactions. Many studies related empathy and moral disengagement to cyberbullying, but none have yet studied them together with online empathy and moral disengagement through technology. This study aimed to analyze the relationships among cyberbullying, online empathy, and moral disengagement through technology and to explore whether the dynamics established among those variables were stable over time. Participants were 1,033 students (age range 11–17 years old; M = 13.66; SD = 1.64; 48.32% girls) enrolled in public and private schools in the south of Spain. A second wave of data collection included 534 participants (52.17%; age range 12–18 years old; M = 14.10; SD = 1.33; 49.82% were girls). This study used a prospective longitudinal design. The results showed that high moral disengagement through technology was related to cyberbullying, especially in the cyberbully/victim role. The role of online empathy did not seem to have such a clear relation with cyberbullying. The need for more research in this area is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New insights on risk and protective factors for cyberbullying. • A survey with a representative sample of adolescents. • High level of social and emotional competencies is related to less cyberbullying. • High level of emotional content online is related to more cyberbullying. • Promote social-emotional competencies and adequate use of emotional content online. Social and emotional competencies have gained importance given their relation with high prosocial behavior and low violence. Social Networking Sites have become a key context for adolescents' interpersonal relationships. Thus, it could be useful to discover if social and emotional competencies are expressed differently when using electronic devices and if their expression, together with the use of emotional content online, are related to cyberbullying. The aim of this study was to explore the relations among social and emotional competencies, emotional content online, cybervictimization, and cyberperpetration. A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out with a representative sample of 2114 Andalusian adolescents (50.9% girls; M age= 13.79 years old, SD = 1.40). Results showed that a high level of social and emotional competencies was negatively related to cybervictimization and cyberperpetration, and it was related to more use of emotional content online. Using more emotional content online was related to more cybervictimization and cyberperpetration. Also having a high level of social and emotional competencies protected against cyberbullying, but an excessive use of emotions online was a risk factor. Insights for the development of future interventions including emotional management online and promotion of positive online interaction are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information and communication technologies can be used for prosocial and educational purposes but they can also be misused or abused. Although technology abuse is a serious problem among youth, the number of studies on risk and protective factors against this problem behavior is still low. Thus, our aim was to describe and analyze the relations between abuse of technology and social and emotional competencies, emotional content in online communication, and bullying. This was a cross-sectional study with a representative sample of 2139 adolescents enrolled in 22 secondary schools in Andalusia (Spain). Correlation and regression analyses were performed, together with structural equation modeling, to discover relations among these variables. High level of social and emotional competencies was related to less technology abuse. Using emotional content in online communication and bullying victimization, and perpetration were related to more technology abuse. These findings provide new insights on risk and protective factors against technology abuse and might be useful for prevention and intervention in this problem behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While the poor psychosocial outcomes of young people who have experienced bullying are well known, the harm associated with experiences that do not meet the bullying criteria is not well understood. The aim of this study was to examine the level of harm associated with experiences of peer aggression, as well as bullying, by directly measuring the four elements of intent, perceived harm, repetition and power imbalance that comprise the bullying criteria. The purpose of the study was to establish whether bullying was the most harmful form of peer aggression and whether other types of peer aggression that did not comprise all elements of bullying were comparably harmful. Over 6000 students (aged 11–16) from 10 countries completed a student victimization and aggression questionnaire. Data showed that approximately 50% of participants were not intentionally harmed through peer aggression, although this varied across countries, ranging from 10% in India to 87.5% in Taiwan. In all countries, analyses identified a group that had experienced repeated peer aggression, but with no power imbalance, comparable in size to the bullied group, suggesting that bullying is just "the tip of the iceberg". Victims of bullying self-reported the greatest experiences of harm, although victims of repeated aggression reported comparable harm. The findings show that peer aggression experiences that do not meet the bullying criteria are also rated as harmful by victims. More research is needed to fully understand negative peer interactions that include behaviors outside the scope of the bullying definition, particularly with regard to repeated peer aggression. This study suggests that researchers should consider the level of harm experienced by individuals and avoid terminology such as bullying, while policy makers should place a strong and explicit focus on encompassing a broader realm of harmful peer aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The present study set out to investigate which role empathy plays in traditional bullying and cyberbullying in a sample of adolescents from Greece and Spain. Furthermore, the study aimed to assess invariance of the relationship between empathy and (cyber) bullying across gender, age and nationality. Method The sample comprised 564 secondary education students attending grades 7 to 10 in typical coeducational schools in Spain and Greece. Participants completed structured anonymous questionnaires on traditional bullying, cyberbullying and empathy. Responses were analyzed using structural equation modeling. Results Both cognitive and affective empathy negatively predicted traditional bullying and cyberbullying perpetration. Mean differences were found for gender and age groups, with girls and older students scoring higher in empathy compared to boys and younger students. Also, older students scored higher in cyberbullying perpetration than younger ones. However, the effect of empathy on bullying and cyberbullying was invariant across gender, age and nationality. Conclusions Cognitive and affective empathy are important correlates of both traditional bullying and cyberbullying, independent of gender, age and nationality. Overall, the results provide valuable information for the development of evidence-based interventions and educational campaigns against bullying and cyberbullying in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]