Cyberbullying and victimization: A review of foreign publications

Abstract

The relevance of studying the aggression of children in cyberspace remains extremely high due to the ongoing intensification of digital communication, the development of social media and new formats of interaction, and the features of digital socialization of generation Z. In the course of a theoretical analysis of the works of foreign researchers, mainly of the last five years, devoted to the problem of bullying on the Internet, data from numerous surveys on the prevalence of the phenomenon in various countries are presented, the interpretation of the concept of "cyberbullying" adopted in the scientific community is discussed, its classifications and types are considered, as well as the most popular theoretical models of this destructive phenomenon, the prerequisites and predictors, the roles of communication participants and the peculiarities of their interaction in a virtual environment are highlighted. A review of modern studies made it possible to draw attention to the methods of collecting information used abroad, as well as to the relationship with the characteristics of the "dark triad of personality" and the parameters of the "Big Five" test. Analyzing destructive behavior in cyberspace, scientists associate it with an excessive degree of self-disclosure on social networks and the publication of too explicit, provocative content, increased use of psychoactive substances, low levels of friendly support, negative family environment and sexual violence. It was shown that a high degree of peer friendly support, warm relationships at school, and parental support are a protective factor against virtual bullying. Cyberbullying victimization affects the psychosomatic status of the victim, causing increased anxiety, anger, depression, sleep problems, theft, harm, and violation of social rules.