Cyberbullying and traditional bullying among Nordic adolescents and their impact on life satisfaction
Publication details
| Year: | 2020 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/1403494818817411 |
| Issued: | 2019 |
| Language: | English |
| Volume: | 48 |
| Issue: | 5 |
| Start Page: | 502 |
| End Page: | 510 |
| Editors: | |
| Authors: | Arnarsson A.; Nygren J.; Nyholm M.; Torsheim T.; Augustine L.; Bjereld Y.; Markkanen I.; Schnohr C.; Rasmussen M.; Nielsen L.; Bendtsen P. |
| Type: | Journal article |
| Journal: | Scandinavian Journal of Public Health |
| Publisher: | SAGE Publications |
| Topics: | Wellbeing; Risks and harms; Other |
| Sample: | The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cybervictimization in the six Nordic countries and to assess its overlap with traditional bullying. A further aim was to examine potential associations between life satisfaction, on the one hand, and traditional bullying and cyberbullying on the other. Methods: Analyses were based on data from the 2013⁄2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. It included 32,210 boys and girls, aged 11, 13, and 15, living in the six Nordic countries. Results: The prevalence of cyberbullying by both pictures and by messages was around 2% in all the Nordic countries except Greenland. There it was considerably higher. The prevalence of being bullied in a traditional manner varied widely by country. For boys, this type of bullying was most frequent in the youngest age group and then decreased steadily in the older age groups. Girls were on average more likely to be cyberbullied. Cyberbullying was more common among 13- and 15-year-olds than 11-year-olds. Higher family affluence was unrelated to the risk of cyberbullying. However, it was related to traditional bullying and combined forms of bullying. Compared with intact families, cybervictimization was commoner among single-parent families and stepfamilies. Adjusting for age, gender, family affluence, and family structure, those subjected to cyberbullying had lower life satisfaction than those who were not bullied. Conclusions: We found relatively little overlap between cyberbullying and traditional bullying, indicating that the two may be separate phenomena stemming from different mechanisms, at least in the Nordic context. |
| Implications For Parents About: | Other |
| Other Parent Implication: | Little overlap between cyberbullying and traditional bullying |
| Implications For Educators About: | Other |
| Implications For Stakeholders About: | Researchers; Healthcare; Other |
| Other Stakeholder Implication: | Healthcare and social workers: Preventing bullying during adolescence has vital implications for the health of young people |
Abstract
Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of cybervictimization in the six Nordic countries and to assess its overlap with traditional bullying. A further aim was to examine potential associations between life satisfaction, on the one hand, and traditional bullying and cyberbullying on the other. Methods: Analyses were based on data from the 2013⁄2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study. It included 32,210 boys and girls, aged 11, 13, and 15, living in the six Nordic countries. Results: The prevalence of cyberbullying by both pictures and by messages was around 2% in all the Nordic countries except Greenland. There it was considerably higher. The prevalence of being bullied in a traditional manner varied widely by country. For boys, this type of bullying was most frequent in the youngest age group and then decreased steadily in the older age groups. Girls were on average more likely to be cyberbullied. Cyberbullying was more common among 13- and 15-year-olds than 11-year-olds. Higher family affluence was unrelated to the risk of cyberbullying. However, it was related to traditional bullying and combined forms of bullying. Compared with intact families, cybervictimization was commoner among single-parent families and stepfamilies. Adjusting for age, gender, family affluence, and family structure, those subjected to cyberbullying had lower life satisfaction than those who were not bullied. Conclusions: We found relatively little overlap between cyberbullying and traditional bullying, indicating that the two may be separate phenomena stemming from different mechanisms, at least in the Nordic context.
Outcome
"...the current study shows that in the Nordic countries cybervictimization among adolescents is uncommon and does not overlap much with traditional bullying. Cybervictimization is less prevalent in younger adolescents, boys, and those living with intact families. Cybervictimization was linked with lower life satisfaction and was found to be especially detrimental among adolescents that also experienced traditional bullying. The data from Greenland showed somewhat different patterns than the rest of the Nordic countries." (Authors, 507)