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Purpose: In recent years, the problem of youth violence has been a cause of increasing concern for educational and mental health professionals worldwide. The main objective of the study was to evaluate experimentally the effects of an anti-bullying/cyberbullying program (Cyberprogram 2.0; Pirámide Publishing, Madrid, Spain) on conflict resolution strategies and self-esteem., Methods: A randomly selected sample of 176 Spanish adolescents aged 13-15 years (93 experimental, 83 control) was employed. The study used a repeated measures pretest-posttest design with a control group. Before and after the program (19 one-hour sessions), two assessment instruments were administered: the questionnaire for measuring conflict management message styles and the Rosenberg self-esteem scale., Results: The analyses of covariance of the posttest scores confirmed that the program stimulated an increase of cooperative conflict resolution strategies, a decrease in aggressive and avoidant strategies, and an increase of self-esteem. The change was similar in both sexes., Conclusions: The study provides evidence of the effectiveness of Cyberprogram 2.0 to improve the capacity for conflict resolution and self-esteem. The discussion focuses on the importance of implementing programs to promote socioemotional development and to prevent violence., (Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To assess the effects of a program for the prevention of political violence on empathy, expression of feelings of anger, and the capacity to define peace-violence., Method: This study used a quasi-experimental design with pretest-posttest repeated measures and a control group. The sample comprised 276 adolescents aged between 15 and 17 years (191 in the experimental group, 85 in the control group; 127 boys and 149 girls). A battery of three assessment instruments was administered before and after the intervention. The aim of the program was to increase sensitivity to the victims of political violence, promote respect for human rights, and prevent violence. The intervention consisted of 10 sessions over 3 months., Results: MANOVA analyses revealed that the program increased participants' capacity of empathy (perspective-taking), anger control in annoying situations, and capacity to define peace-violence., Conclusions: This study has practical educational implications and provides an intervention tool that enhances the development of personality during adolescence and may have a preventive effect on violent behavior., (Copyright © 2011 SESPAS. Published by Elsevier España. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: The study had two aims: 1) to analyze the existence of gender differences in socioemotional developmental factors, and 2) to apply a program of education for peace and prevention of violence to determine whether the pretest-posttest change in socioemotional developmental factors differs as a function of gender., Methods: The sample comprised 285 adolescents, aged 15-16 years, including 162 experimental subjects and 123 control subjects. An experimental design of repeated pre-posttest measures with a control group was used, and four assessment instruments were administered., Results: Analyses of variance confirmed significantly higher scores in the female adolescents in cognitions of rejection of violence, prosocial cognitions, cooperative conflict solving, positive strategies for coping with violence, and positive social behaviors. Male adolescents obtained significantly higher scores in cognitions of acceptance of violence, aggressive conflict solving, aggressive strategies for coping with violence, and negative social behaviors. The pre-post change in most of the factors of socioemotional development assessed was similar in both sexes., Conclusions: Results suggest the need to reflect on and modify the type of childrearing and socialization patterns that are promoted in males so that they will favor the development of skills oriented toward warm interpersonal relations, nonaggressive communication, positive social behaviors, internal control of anger, empathy, etc. Results also suggest including supplementary modules for males when designing interventions to prevent violence.

Background: Family relationships and self-esteem are relevant variables into the understanding of cyberbullying. However, little is known about the mediating role of self-esteem in the connections between cyberbullying and parenting. The study had two goals: (1) to analyze the relation between being a cybervictim and/or cyberaggressor and self-esteem, parents' acceptance/coercion, and parenting styles and (2) to explore whether self-esteem is a mediator in the relationship between parents' acceptance/coercion and being a cybervictim/cyberaggressor. Method: The sample comprises 3026 Spanish adolescents (51.5% girls and 48.5% boys) aged 12–18 years (Mage = 14.39; SD = 1.69). The study has a cross-sectional design, retrospective ex-post with multiple measurements. Results: (1) cybervictims and cyberaggressors have low self-esteem, and their parents have a low level of involvement/acceptance and a high level of coercion/imposition towards their sons/daughters, (2) participants whose parents were authoritarian obtained significantly lower scores in self-esteem and higher scores in cybervictimization/cyberaggression, whereas those whose parents were indulgent obtained significantly higher scores in self-esteem and lower scores in cybervictimization/cyberaggression, and (3) it was found a mediation of self-esteem in the relationship between the involvement/acceptance of both parents and being a cybervictim, as well as between the father's coercion/imposition and being a cyberaggressor. Conclusion: An adequate level of self-esteem, high parental acceptance/involvement, and a reasonably low level of coercion/discipline as the parenting style can have very positive effects on the prevention of cyberbullying. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is based on current concern about peer violence. The main goal of the study was to identify the prevalence of cyberbullying in the Basque Country (northern Spain). The sample comprised 3026 participants aged between 12 and 18 years. The Cyberbullying Test was administered, using a descriptive and correlational design. The results show that 69.8% of the sample was involved in cyberbullying (suffered, seen, and/or performed it one or more times in the past year), 30.2% were cybervictims, 15.5% were cyberaggressors, and 65.1% were cyberobservers. The most prevalent behaviors were stealing someone’s password, anonymous frightening phone calls, sending offensive/insulting messages, and slandering by lying about someone in order to discredit. Positive correlations were found between cybervictimization, cyberaggression, and cyberobservation, and contingency analysis showed that only one-third of the cybervictims were cyberaggressors. The study provides precise information about the prevalence of cyberbullying in the Basque Country, and allows comparison of the information provided by all the roles involved (cybervictims, cyberaggressors, and cyberobservers). The study confirms the noteworthy prevalence of cyberbullying in the Basque Country, which is convergent with that found in other countries. The empirical evidence suggests the need for active prevention and intervention strategies from educational, family, community, and clinical-therapeutic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: The considerable prevalence of cyberbullying and its noxious effects on all those concerned reveals the need for programs to prevent and/or intervene in this type of violence. The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of Cyberprogram 2.0 on "face-to-face" bullying, cyberbullying, and empathy. Method: A sample of 176 adolescents of the Basque Country (Spain), aged between 13 and 15 years, who studied Compulsory Secondary Education, was used. Of them, 93 were randomly assigned to the experimental condition, and 83 to the control condition. The study used a pretest-posttest repeated measures design with a control group. Before and after the program, two assessment instruments were administered. Results: The results confirmed that the program significantly stimulated: (a) a decrease in the amount of bullying and cyberbullying behaviors suffered and/or carried out (level of victimization, perpetration, aggressive-victimization); and (b) an increase in the capacity for empathy. Conclusions: The study provides evidence of the effectiveness of Cyberprogram 2.0 to prevent and reduce bullying and cyberbullying. The discussion analyzes aspects of the program that may account for the significant intervention effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study had three goals: to analyze gender differences in victimization, perception of school violence, and social behaviour; to study the relations between these variables; and to identify variables predicting victimization. A correlational methodology was employed, and three assessment instruments were administered. The sample was made up of 178 participants aged between 13 and 15 years. The results yielded no gender differences in victimization; however, females perceived more verbal abuse and performed more behaviours of help-collaboration, whereas males scored higher in negative social behaviours (aggressiveness-stubbornness, dominance, apathy-withdrawal). The bullying victims of both sexes had a high perception of school violence; moreover, victimized males performed few behaviours of help-collaboration and assurance-firmness, whereas victimized females displayed many behaviours of social anxiety. Six variables predicted victimization: high perception of violence through information and communication technologies, high social anxiety, lower age, little aggressive behaviour, high perception of verbal abuse, and few behaviours of help-collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to analyze sex differences in cyberbullying, with a sample of 3,026 participants from the Basque Country (Spain), aged from 12 to 18 years, 51.5% female and 48.5% male. The Cyberbullying Test was administered (Garaigordobil, 2013) to assess the frequency with which 15 behaviors had been received, performed and observed during the past year, and obtaining four psychometric indicators: victimization, perpetration, observation, and aggressive victimization. It was found a significantly higher percentage of female victims (female= 17.6%, male= 12.5%), although the average of behaviors in both sexes was similar. The percentage of perpetrators was similar (male= 7.8%, female= 7.7%), although the average behavior of perpetration was significantly higher in males. The percentage of aggressive victims was similar (male= 5.2%, female= 5.1%), and the mean of behaviors that had been received/performed was also similar. The percentage of female observers was significantly higher (female= 38%; male= 27.1%), and the mean of behavior observation by females was also higher. The study provides prevalence rates of cyberbullying in the Basque Country, and supports the need for prevention and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper reviews the studies of a new form of peer harassment, cyber-bullying (CB), which uses new information and communication technologies, mostly Internet and mobile phones, to harass colleagues. We analyzed the studies that have investigated the prevalence and effects of CB. The results of this review reveal a high prevalence of CB in all countries. Approximately, 40% and 55% of students are involved in some way (victims, perpetrators, observers), between 20% and 50% reported experiences of victimization, but only between 2% and 7% have suffered severely. It confirms variations according to the country, ages of the samples, and the time period over which information is requested. Regarding the effects, studies show that cyber-victims experience anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, stress, fear, low self-esteem, feelings of anger and frustration, helplessness, nervousness, irritability, somatization, sleep disturbances, and concentration difficulties that affect their academic performance; whereas cyber-attackers show a lack of empathy, aggressive and criminal behavior, higher use of alcohol and drugs, dependence on technology, and truancy. The discussion focuses on the importance of taking action to prevent CB and on intervention when it has already occurred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]