Adolescent cyberbullies and problematic internet use: The protective role of core self-evaluations

Adolescentes ciberacosadores y uso problemático de Internet: el papel protector de las autovaloraciones centrales

Carolina Yudes, Universidad de Málaga
Lourdes Rey, Universidad de Málaga
Natalio Extremera, Universidad de Málaga

DOI

10.22550/REP79-2-2021-07

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a growing problem in contemporary society. Although the risk factors are widely studied, there has been little research focussed on the personal resources that might help prevent or reduce it. This study aimed to analyse whether core self-evaluations can moderate the relationship between problematic internet use and cyberbullying. The participants were 456 cyberbullies aged between 12 and 18 (mean age: 15.01; SD = 1.44), extracted from an initial sample of 2085 young people. We used three self-report measures as measurement instruments (cyberbullying perpetration: ECIP-Q; problematic internet use: IAT; core self-evaluations: CSE). The results show that cyberbullying perpetration relates positively to problematic internet use and negatively to CSE. The moderation analysis highlighted the protective role of CSE only when the level of problematic internet use was not very high. These results highlight the need to implement measures at early ages to prevent problematic internet use and cyberbullying in which working on positive personal resources is of key importance. It concludes that this problem requires comprehensive models that are broader than those currently existing, which in addition to risk factors take into consideration personal, familiar, and contextual factors that can provide protection.

Please, cite this article as follows: Yudes, C., Rey, L., & Extremera, N. (2021). Adolescentes ciberacosadores y uso problemático de Internet: el papel protector de las autovaloraciones centrales | Adolescent cyberbullies and problematic internet use: The protective role of core self-evaluations. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 79 (279), 231-248. 10.22550/REP79-2-2021-07

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Author Biography

Carolina Yudes has a PhD in Psychology from the University of Granada. She currently works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Universidad de Málaga (UMA). She is a member of the research group “Positive personal resources, well-being and health in applied contexts (CTS-1048)” of the UMA. Author of several scientific publications on bullying and cyberbullying at school and its relationship with positive personal resources.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4191-7336

Lourdes Rey has a PhD in Psychol-ogy and is Associate Professor of the Department of Personality, Assessment and Psychological Treatment of the Faculty of Psychology at the Universidad de Málaga and Director of the “Master in Child and Adolescent Psychological Treatment” at the UMA. Director of the research group CTS-1048. Her main lines of research are positive personal resources in the field of health, well-being and psychological adjustment in different applied contexts.

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1394-1646

Natalio Extremera holds a PhD in Psychology and is Professor of the Department of Social Psychology at the UMA. He is a researcher member of the CTS-1048 group, as well as principal investigator of different R&D projects on the assessment and development of positive personal resources. His main lines of research are related to emotional skills, personal resources, well-being and work stress.

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8874-7912

Citación recomendada | Recommended citation

Yudes, C., Rey, L. & Extremera, N. (2021). Adolescentes ciberacosadores y uso problemático de Internet: el papel protector de las autovaloraciones centrales | Adolescent cyberbullies and problematic internet use: The protective role of core self-evaluations. Revista Española de Pedagogía, 79 (279), 231-248. 10.22550/REP79-2-2021-07