Cyberbullying and empathy among elementary school students

Do special educational needs make a difference

Datos Bibliográficos

ID21392028
AutoresThanos Touloupis (0000-0003-2951-6919, Department of Psychology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece, autor de correspondencia), Christina Athanasiades (0000-0003-4916-9328, Department of Psychology Aristotle University of Thessaloniki Thessaloniki Greece, autor de correspondencia)
Año2022
Volumen63
Número6
Páginas609-623
Fecha de publicación2022-12-01
Peer ReviewedSí
Open AccessSí
TipoARTICLE
RevistaScandinavian Journal of Psychology (JOURNAL)
Identificadores de la revistaISSN: 0036-5564 • E-ISSN: 1467-9450
EditorialWiley (PUBLISHER • GB)
DOI10.1111/sjop.12838
PMID35698831
OpenAlexW4282833057
IdiomaEN
Citas recibidas6
Referencias citadas81

The present study investigates involvement in cyberbullying and empathy skills, as well as the relationship between the two among general education sixth grade elementary school students with and without special educational needs (SEN). Specifically, 120 students with SEN (Autistic Spectrum Disorder‐ASD, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder‐ADHD, learning disabilities) and 120 students without SEN from 29 randomly selected schools of the second biggest city in Greece completed a self‐report questionnaire, which included a short version of the “Cyberbullying Questionnaire” (Smith et al., An investigation into cyber bullying, its forms, awareness and impact, and the relationship between age and gender in cyber bullying. A report to the Anti‐Bullying Alliance. Unit for School and Family Studies, 2006) and the “Basic Empathy Scale”—BES (Jolliffe & Farrington, 2006, J Adolesc, 29:589, 2006). The results showed that, regardless of gender, involvement in cyberbullying (as victims/bullies) concerned primarily students with SEN, mainly those with ASD and ADHD. Accordingly, students with SEN and mostly those with ASD expressed lower affective and cognitive empathy compared to the rest of the students. Finally, for all the participating students both affective and cognitive empathy negatively predicted engagement in cyberbullying (as victims/bullies). Implications for preventive actions in elementary education, and especially for children with SEN, are discussed in detail

Developmental psychology · Empathy · Mathematics education · Medical emergency · Poison control · Significant difference · Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Child Development and Digital Technology · Human Factors and Ergonomics · Psychology · Social Psychology · Youth Development and Social Support