Relationship between the consumption of PEGI18 video games with explicit violence, bullying, and cyberbullying

Bullying is one of the most common victimizing experiences in childhood and adolescence, with important emotional correlates. The scientific literature has shown that exposure to violent content is associated with a greater predisposition to perpetrate and/or be a victim of bullying or cyberbullying...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Authors: Rial Boubeta, Antonio, Fernández Theotónio, Álvaro, Neira de Paz, Alejandro, Braña Tobío, Teresa, Varela Mallou, Jesús
Format: article
Publication Date:2024
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Santiago de Compostela (USC)
Repository:Minerva. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:minerva.usc.gal:10347/44059
Online Access:https://hdl.handle.net/10347/44059
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:PEGI
Bullying
Cyberbullying
Violence
Video games
Adolescents
Violencia
Videojuegos
Adolescentes
Description
Summary:Bullying is one of the most common victimizing experiences in childhood and adolescence, with important emotional correlates. The scientific literature has shown that exposure to violent content is associated with a greater predisposition to perpetrate and/or be a victim of bullying or cyberbullying. Different studies have highlighted the importance that the consumption of certain types of video games (with explicit violent content) can have at this level. The present study aimed to analyze the relationship between the consumption of violent video games (labeled as PEGI18) and the rates of bullying and cyberbullying. An exploratory study was carried out, accessing 15 educational centers and a total sample of 2,083 primary and secondary school students (10-17 years old). A self administered questionnaire was used which included the European Bullying Intervention Project Questionnaire and the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire, along with items related to video games use. The results show the existence of a statistically significant relationship between the consumption of violent video games, bullying, and cyberbullying, especially at early ages. These findings highlight the need for a more effective regulation, which ensures an adjustment between the video games consumed and the age of the user