Cyberbullying and Bullying: Impact on Psychological Symptoms and Well-Being

Abstract

Related, but with different impacts on psychological symptoms and well-being, bullying and cyberbullying have been the subject of numerous studies. The present study analysed the associations between cyberbullying and bullying, specifically: 1) gender, school grade and age associations with cyberbullying and bullying; 2) the impact of cyberbullying and bullying on psychological, social and contextual symptoms and well-being according to cyberbullying involvement, and 3) a combined bullying context was compared to single bullying contexts and to non-involvement for psychological, social and contextual factors, and well-being, among a cross-sectional and randomly assigned sample based on the 2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Portuguese Study, a World Health Organization collaborative study (HBSC/ WHO). Composed by 6026 adolescents (47.7% male), aged between 10 and 19.92 years old (M = 13.77; SD = 1.68), in the 6th, 8th, and 10th grades, results showed that 10.9% of the participants reported being involved in cyberbullying, as cybervictims, cyberbullies or cyberbully-victims, and 47.9% in bullying. Most of the cybervictims reported being involved as victims and bully-victims in bullying; cyberbullies as bully-victims in bullying, and most of the cyberbully-victims reported having the same role in bullying. Frequently, cybervictims were females and most of the cyberbullies and cyberbully-victims were males. No significant associations were found for age and for Body Mass Index. Comparisons between groups, based on the participants’ role in cyberbullying, showed significant differences for substances use, emotional symptoms, school context, fights and friends. Further comparisons (according to participant’s role, not involved, or involved in single or combined bullying) evidenced the cumulative effect of combined bullying. In conclusion, given the different characteristics and impact of cyberbullying on cybervictims, cyberbullies and cyberbully-victims, is crucial to consider the interrelations between the groups and focus on a more engaging perspective, based on an ecological intervention model. Results will be discussed from a public policy perspective.