Ang, Rebecca P.

Bullying among children and adolescents is no longer limited to the classroom or the basketball court; social media platforms have emerged as a new playground in which bullying occurs. Bullying behaviors are situated in a larger ecosystem, and this chapter examined the relationship between cyberbullying, traditional bullying, and associated outcomes. Cyberbullying and traditional bullying are not distinct phenomena, and cyberbullying should be viewed as an extension of traditional bullying. Critical child and parent variables related to cyberbullying were reviewed. Frequent and excessive Internet use alongside psychosocial difficulties were factors related to cyberbullying. Proactive aggression and endorsement of normative beliefs about aggression were also found to be risk factors. Additionally, different aspects of poor parent–child relationships have been shown to be closely related to cyberbullying as well. The chapter concludes with recommendations on prevention and intervention strategies. Empathy training and education, and targeting and modifying normative beliefs about aggression were highlighted and reviewed. The need to develop positive parent–child relationships as early as possible was also emphasized. For effective prevention and intervention efforts, these must be situated within a larger multilevel framework which targets different levels and addresses multiple contexts within which a child is embedded.

Cyberbullying victimization and mental health symptoms are major concerns for children and adolescents worldwide. Despite the increasing number of longitudinal studies of cyberbullying and mental health among this demographic, the robustness of the causal associations between cyberbullying victimization and the magnitude of mental health symptoms remains unclear. This meta-analysis investigated the longitudinal impact of cyberbullying victimization on mental health symptoms among children and adolescents. A systematic search identified primary studies published in English between January 2010 and June 2021, yielding a sample of 27 studies encompassing 13,497 children and adolescents aged 8 to 19 years old. The longitudinal association between cyberbullying victimization and mental health symptoms among children and adolescents was found to be weakly positive and consistent across time and age. Three significant moderators were identified: the effect of cyberbullying victimization on mental health was larger among older children, groups with a higher proportion of males, and in more recent publications. No evidence of publication bias was detected. This study adds to the existing body of research by providing a new perspective on the long-term effects of cyberbullying victimization on the mental health of children and adolescents’ mental health. Furthermore, it underscores the necessity of developing effective cyberbullying prevention programs, interventions, and legal regulations to comprehensively address this issue.