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There is some indication that discrimination as well as low levels of life satisfaction render young people at risk of cyberhate victimization. Adopting a socio-ecological perspective, this paper examines whether supportive family, peer and school environments may buffer against the effects of perceived discrimination and low life satisfaction on cyberhate victimization. Data from four countries (N = 3396) of the EU Kids Online IV survey on children aged 11–17 (51% girls) revealed a positive association between perceived discrimination and cyberhate victimization, but this impact was moderated by supportive family and peer environments. A negative association between life satisfaction and cyberhate victimization was mitigated by peer support. However, no associations with the school context were found. The current study provides new insights on how social support on different levels of the social environment may buffer against potential risk factors for cyberhate victimization and can inform decision-makers towards intervention and prevention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an international context of increasing racism, xenophobia, anti-Semitism, and Islamophobia in Europe and the USA (FRA, 2013; Hawdon et al. 2015), social media provide a privileged tool for propaganda and victimization. Issues of racism and xenophobia have become more prevalent both in "real life" and on the Internet. This study presents the results of a self-reported questionnaire survey on cyberhate among 1900 French students, age 12–20, where we investigated the association between school bullying and cyberhate victimization and perpetration. Findings show that bullying and cyberhate are a common experience for quite a few young people. Structural equation models provide evidence of the association between ordinary offline victimization and involvement in cyberhate. Our findings for cyberhate provide further evidence suggesting an overlap between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. They confirm the need for further research to acquire a better understanding of the processes that underscore individual involvement in online hate in order to inform effective interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Internet is at the heart of our children's and adolescents' way of life. Although it opens up many positive perspectives in terms of access to information, knowledge, and communication, it also presents risks and potential negative experiences that can have severe consequences at the individual level. In this paper, we are interested in studying the link between cybervictimization, psychological well-being, and social competence. More specifically, we want to study how children and adolescents' anxiety, impulsivity, self-esteem, and deviant behaviors may be related to cybervictimization. We collected data from 1019 children and young people in France aged 9–17 in the context of the EU Kids online survey. Sampling was performed building a random-probability nationally representative sample of households with children using the Internet. Participants completed a questionnaire online by computer-assisted self-interviewing (CASI). Structural equation model reveals that (1) cybervictimization is related to lower well-being, such as anxiety and low self-esteem, as well as lower social competence, such as impulsivity and deviant behaviors, and that (2) all dimensions of (non)well-being and social (in)competence are related to each other. Findings are discussed in the light of Agnew general strain theory and previous research findings on the consequences of cybervictimization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although cyberbullying mostly happens outside school, it negatively affects students' wellbeing, and school experience, contributing to the deterioration of school climate. However, teachers' commitment to address cyberbullying varies, as some feel they lack the skills or that it is not their responsibility. This paper presents childrens' perception and experience of what the teachers' and schools' involvment is in raising awareness on issues like online risks, e-safety and cyberbullying.The paper is based on the data of the EU Kids Online III project that took place in nine European countries in 2013. The project consisted in a qualitative survey, interviews and group discussions, on children aged 9-16. Findings show that schools mostly deal with the prevention of sexual abuse, teaching about online privacy. Students are reluctant to ask for teachers' help and do not trust their ability in supporting them. However, in some countries, students - school staff communication seems easier in case of cyberbullying. Worryingly, children also reported unethical online behaviours from staff (spying on students' online life). In conclusion, teachers need further digital literacy training to support students toward a positive use of the Internet. Also, a public discussion of the role of school and teachersin preventing cyberbullying phenomenon is needed. As schools from some countries are more proactive and children more prone to seek help from their teachers in this issue, cross-cultural differences deserve further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several criteria have been proposed for defining cyberbullying to young people, but no studies have proved their relevance. There are also variations across different countries in the meaning and the definition of this behavior. We systematically investigated the role of five definitional criteria for cyberbullying, in six European countries. These criteria (intentionality, imbalance of power, repetition, anonymity, and public vs. private) were combined through a set of 32 scenarios, covering a range of four types of behaviors (written-verbal, visual, exclusion, and impersonation). For each scenario, participants were asked whether it was cyberbullying or not. A randomized version of the questionnaire was shown to 295 Italian, 610 Spanish, 365 German, 320 Sweden, 336 Estonian, and 331 French adolescents aged 11-17 years. Results from multidimensional scaling across country and type of behavior suggested a clear first dimension characterized by imbalance of power and a clear second dimension characterized by intentionality and, at a lower level, by anonymity. In terms of differences across types of behaviors, descriptive frequencies showed a more ambiguous role for exclusion as a form of cyberbullying, but general support was given to the relevance of the two dimensions across all the types of behavior. In terms of country differences, French participants more often perceived the scenarios as cyberbullying as compared with those in other countries, but general support was found for the relevance of the two dimensions across countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological studies on the prevalence of cyberbullying and cybervictimization in different countries, using the same procedure and the same measures, are of relevance in understanding differences in results that are not due to methodological factors. The current study was conducted in 8 European countries (Bulgaria, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and Spain), involving a total of 4,847 students, using an online anonymous questionnaire (the Tabby online questionnaire). The results were analyzed by comparing differences between countries and between genders. Cyberbullying and cybervictimization were most prevalent in Bulgaria and Hungary and least prevalent in Spain. Boys committed more cyberbullying than girls in all countries, but there were no overall gender differences in cybervictimization. However, girls were more often cybervictims in four countries and boys were more often cybervictims in the other four countries. The results are discussed with regard to the importance of cross-national studies of cyberbullying and cybervictimization and the use of online data collection in order to reduce methodological bias. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the structural relationship between two types of cyberaggression: cyberhate and cyberbullying. Cyberhate is online hate speech that attacks collective identities. Cyberbullying is defined by the intent to harm, its repeated nature, and a power imbalance. Considering these features and the shared commonalities, we used survey data from adolescents from the Czech Republic, Poland, and Slovakia (N = 3,855, aged 11–17) to examine the relationship between them. We tested a bifactor model with the general common risk factor and two distinct factors of cyberhate and cyberbullying. We also tested alternative one-factor and two-factor models. The bifactor structure showed the best fit and allowed for the further examination of the unique and common features of cyberhate and cyberbullying by testing their associations with selected risk and protective factors. The results showed that the general risk factor was associated with higher age, emotional problems, and time spent online. Individual-based discrimination was associated with cyberbullying and the general risk factor. Group-based discrimination was associated with cyberhate and cyberbullying. Exposure to harmful online content was associated with all factors. Considering that prior research did not sufficiently differentiate between these two phenomena, our study provides an empirically-based delimitation to help to identify their shared basis and differences. • Cyberhate and cyberbullying can overlap, but they are distinct experiences and need to be distinguished in research. • Cyberhate and cyberbullying share a general risk propensity. • Individual-based discrimination predicts cyberbullying, group-based discrimination predicts both cyberhate and cyberbullying. • Group-based discrimination should be addressed in cyberbullying prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]