Cyberbullying status and mental health in Norwegian adolescents

Bibliographic Data

ID21391872
AuthorsSusan Kaiser (0000-0002-2081-7734, Regional Center for Child and Youth Mental Health ‐ North (RKBU‐North) Faculty of Health Sciences UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway, corresponding author), Henriette Kyrrestad (0000-0003-1515-6502, Regional Center for Child and Youth Mental Health ‐ North (RKBU‐North) Faculty of Health Sciences UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway), Sturla Fossum (0000-0002-5697-8046, Regional Center for Child and Youth Mental Health ‐ North (RKBU‐North) Faculty of Health Sciences UiT The Arctic University of Norway Tromsø Norway)
Year2020
Volume61
Issue5
Pages707-713
Publication date2020-10-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueScandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450
PublisherWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/sjop.12656
PMID32592170
OpenAlexW3037337717
LanguageEN
Citations received5
References cited22

The aim of the present study was to examine how the cyberbullying status (not involved, cyber‐victim only, cyberbully only, cyber‐victim and bully) is related to the mental health of the adolescents when controlled for traditional bullying experience. We also examined the potential moderator sex on the relationship between cyberbullying status and mental health. Univariate analyses of variance were conducted to predict mental health problems using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire total difficulties score and its five scales. The model consisted of five predictors in addition to an interaction term between cyberbully status and sex. Of the 2,117 adolescents, 50% were girls. The vast majority did not have any cyberbullying experience (87%), 9% of the adolescents were cyber‐victims only, 1% were cyberbullies only and 3% were both cyber‐victims and bullies. Overall, girl's mental health seems to be more compromised when exposed to or involved in cyberbullying than boys mental health. In general, adolescents who are not only cyberbullies and cyber‐victims, but also cyber‐victims only had a worse mental health compared to adolescents without cyberbullying experience. Being exposed to cyberbullying is a unique contributor to mental health problems. Preventing cyberbullying is therefore important. Especially girl's mental health seems to be negatively affected when exposed to cyberbullying

Developmental psychology · Injury prevention · Medical emergency · Mental health · Moderation · Norwegian · Occupational safety and health · Poison control · Psychiatry · Suicide prevention · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development · Child Development and Digital Technology · Clinical Psychology · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Medicine · Psychology · Social Psychology