Adolescents Suffering from Long-term Cyberbullying Victimisation: Peer Pressure and Anger Dysregulation as Risk Factors

Episodes of cyberbullying victimisation have serious consequences among adolescents, which worsen when their involvement is perpetuated over time. It is therefore important to understand what factors lead to long-term cybervictimisation to prevent it. This one-year longitudinal study examines signif...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Espino Peñate, Esperanza, Veiga Simão, Ana Margarida, Costa Ferreira, Paula, Sánchez Jiménez, Virginia, Del Rey Alamillo, Rosario
Format: article
Publication Date:2025
Country:España
Institution:Universidad Loyola Andalucía
Repository:Brújula
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uloyola.es:20.500.12412/6796
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12412/6796
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Cyberbullying Victimisation Persistence Peers Anger
Description
Summary:Episodes of cyberbullying victimisation have serious consequences among adolescents, which worsen when their involvement is perpetuated over time. It is therefore important to understand what factors lead to long-term cybervictimisation to prevent it. This one-year longitudinal study examines significant socioemotional factors in the origin and dynamics of cybervictimisation, not yet jointly explored in its perpetuation. Participants were 427 Spanish 7th -, 8th -, 9th - and 10th -grade students (52.9% boys, 46.8% girls, 0.2% other), aged 12–17 (Mage = 13.08, SD = 1.01). Adolescents completed a series of self-reported questionnaires assessing peer pressure, anger dysregulation, and cybervictimisation. The results revealed that: (a) of the total sample, 5.6% were cybervictims only at T1 and 8.0% only at T2, and 3.6% were long-term cybervictims; (b) all variables were significantly and positively correlated at T1 and T2, except cybervictimisation at T1 and anger dysregulation at T2; (c) scores varied according to gender and age; and (d) peer pressure can increase the risk of long-term cybervictimisation, specifically in cases where anger dysregulation levels are moderate or low. The results highlight the importance of considering moderating mechanisms involved in increasing the risk of long-term cybervictimisation as well as the need to promote positive peer group dynamics and emotion management to avoid perpetuating the problem.