Engl. transl.: Emotions in Cyberbullying: A study with Portuguese teenagers

This paper presents a part of the extensive study of the project Cyberbullying – A Diagnosis of the Situation in Portugal, which applied a questionnaire to 3,525 teenagers in the 6th, 8th and 11th schooling levels. In order to characterize cyberbullying, we have sought to contribute to the identification and interpretation of emotions experienced by the youngsters involved as victims or offenders in cyberbullying situations. The data reveal that sadness, desire for revenge, and fear are the most frequent emotions of the victims, while satisfaction, indifference and relief are those that the offenders experience the most. Data also reveal significant differences between the emotions experienced by victims and those that offenders attributed to them, which can be an indicator of the lack of empathy of the latter and thus requires the development of an emotional education of youngsters. Some significant differences have been found concerning schooling level, sex, school, and municipality, namely: a higher incidence of emotions such as sadness, fear, insecurity, and the desire for revenge among male victims; more feelings of insecurity, relief, confusion, and disorientation among young female offenders; emotions associated with impotence and lack of support experienced by youngsters in the role of victims, more in some schools than in others. These data lead us to reflect on how to take action to prevent cyberbullying.

Emotions matter and have different incidence in the experience of cyberbullying, varying according to roles played by the teenagers (victims and/or offenders). The data reveal that: - Sadness, desire for revenge, and fear are the most frequent emotions of the victims, while satisfaction, indifference and relief are those that the offenders experience the most. - There are significant differences between the emotions experienced by victims and those that offenders attributed to them, which can be an indicator of the lack of empathy of the latter and thus requires the development of an emotional education of youngsters. - Significant differences have been found concerning schooling level, sex, school, and municipality, namely: a higher incidence of emotions such as sadness, fear, insecurity, and the desire for revenge among male victims; more feelings of insecurity, relief, confusion, and disorientation among young female offenders; emotions associated with impotence and lack of support experienced by youngsters in the role of victims, more in some schools than in others. These data lead to the reflection on how to take action to prevent cyberbullying: managing, reading and using emotions are emotional competencies relevant to deal with adverse situations and should be developed. "Among these, some competences are particularly important: empathy and understanding of the emotions of others; understanding one's own emotions and motivations; dealing with stressors; managing one's own emotions; the feeling of being in control over their own destinies; conflict resolution; respect for differences; making friends, having leadership and proactivity to deal with and discourage cyberbullying; the self esteem; the respect; responsibility. It is also about developing an effective digital citizenship through education that trains children and young people to the informed, conscious and critical use of new information and communication technologies. However, training must not be limited to children and young people. It is also important to develop a positive, collaborative, mediating and co-responsible school environment culture, in which everyone feels they are part of the solution and that their actions have consequences. Our study also shows that emotions are related to schools, namely moral emotions. So, intervention projects based on in-depth knowledge of the phenomenon need to be developed, in a systemic approach in which all are involved. (...) We emphasize the need to promote active participation of students (namely in institutional prevention policies) in debates, on a daily basis. Parental involvement and supervision is also necessary. It includes affection, stimulating dialogue with their children, not blaming the victims, not removing the internet, but also not resigning from their role in the education of values, since they are role models, and encouraging their children to help colleagues" (Caetano, A.; Freire, I.; Simão, A.; Martins, M.; Pessoa, M., 2016: 209-10, translated by the coder).