Traits, Trends, and Trajectory of Tween and Teen Cyberbullies

Abstract

Digital communication has revolutionized the way children interact and maintain social relations. However, not every tween (8-12 years) or teen (13-18 years) is able to take full advantage of digital media and may cross personal and social boundaries causing distress, mostly to their own friends at school and beyond. This results in adverse health effects for both the cyberbullying perpetrator and the victim. Articles reviewed on elementary school children and adolescents, collected from two different databases, showed that the number of elementary school kids using smartphones has more than doubled in the past few years. Given this rise, the risk of cyberbullying has also increased. Not all elementary school kids have the required media literacy to understand that their friends have equal rights in the virtual world as they do in the schoolyard. Regardless, they still carry a smartphone with data, use computers, and other electronic media to bully, embarrass, exclude, or humiliate others, often through social networking sites. Moving from tweens to teens seems to worsen the cyberbully behavior and choices, with middle school kids facing the highest cyberbullying incidents followed by high school kids and then the elementary school kids. The anonymity of cyberspace and the perceived lack of consequences seems to embolden the cyberbully. Identifying the mindset of a cyberbully and those at high risk of becoming a cyberbully can help target intervention efforts where they are needed the most and prevent cyberbullying.

Cyber-Victimization and Its Effect on Depression in Adolescents: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

“…While cyber-bullying may not be fully understood in many countries, it already imposes harm on adolescents’ health in many ways, such as depression as found in this study. Second, the development of technology such as the Internet, mobile phone, social networks, and many others has been transforming cyber-bullying into more sophisticated forms (Khan et al, 2020). However, the effect of different types of cyber-bullying on adolescents’ health is still unclear.…”

“…such as the Internet, mobile phone, social networks, and many others has been transforming cyber-bullying into more sophisticated forms (Khan et al, 2020). However, the effect of different types of cyber-bullying on adolescents' health is still unclear.…”

Factors associated with cyberbullying among vocational students based on the ecological system model in an ethnic minority area

“…Cyberbullying (CB) and cybervictimization (CV) are currently attracting increasing attention in research, contemporary practice, and policy. [ 1 ] CB can be defined as the behavior of individuals or groups repeatedly sending hostile or offensive messages through electronic or digital media, with the intention of causing humiliation, suffering, fear, and despair to others. [ 2 , 3 ] When CB occurs, at least 2 people are involved.…”

Cyber-victimization and its association with depression among Vietnamese adolescents

“…What matters are that despite not being fully understood, cyberbullying already imposed harm on adolescent health and well-being in many ways, particularly mental health as found in this study and previous studies. Cyberbullying behaviors are being transferred into more sophisticated forms with relation to the development of technology such as the Internet, mobile phone and social networks and many others ( Khan et al, 2020 ). Therefore, detailed description of cyberbullying forms may provide a scientific reference for planning appropriate and effective intervention strategies.…”