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. 2015 Sep-Dec;15(3):226-235.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijchp.2015.03.002. Epub 2015 Apr 14.

Risk factors associated with cybervictimization in adolescence

David Álvarez-García  1 , José Carlos Núñez Pérez  1 , Alejandra Dobarro González  1 , Celestino Rodríguez Pérez  1
Affiliations

Risk factors associated with cybervictimization in adolescence

David Álvarez-García et al. Int J Clin Health Psychol. 2015 Sep-Dec.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

The aim of this work is to analyze the predictive value of several variables that may affect the likelihood of occasional or severe cibervictimization in adolescence, including sociodemographic (gender and age), psychological (self-esteem and shyness-social anxiety), educational (off-line school victimization, training and socio-emotional support, and academic achievement), family (parental control), and technological (frequency of use and risky Internet behaviors) factors. To achieve this, three self-reports were applied to 3,180 Compulsory Secondary Education students from Asturias (Spain), aged between 11 and 19 years old. The multinomial logistic regression results show that age, off-line school victimization, parental control, risky Internet behaviors, using online social networks or instant messaging applications and frequency of Internet use during weekends are statistically significant risk factors for both occasional and severe cybervictimization. Self-esteem is a protective factor for occasional cybervictimization. Having their own mobile phone, playing on-line with others and frequency of Internet use during weekdays are risk factors for severe cybervictimization. The implications of these results are discussed with regard to prevention, detection and treatment of cybervictimization.

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la capacidad predictiva de diversos factores de carácter sociodemográfico (género y edad), psicológico (autoestima y timidez-ansiedad social), educativo (victimización escolar off-line, formación y apoyo en el centro educativo, y rendimiento académico), familiar (control parental) y tecnológico (frecuencia de uso y conductas de riesgo) sobre la probabilidad de padecer cibervictimización ocasional o severa, en una muestra de adolescentes españoles. Para ello, se aplicaron tres autoinformes a 3.180 estudiantes de Educación Secundaria Obligatoria de Asturias (España), de entre 11 y 19 años. Los análisis de regresión logística multinomial muestran que la edad, la victimización escolar off-line, el control parental, las conductas de riesgo en Internet, el uso de redes sociales o programas de mensajería instantánea y la frecuencia de uso de Internet durante el fin de semana son factores de riesgo estadísticamente significativos tanto de cibervictimización ocasional como severa. La autoestima es factor protector de cibervictimización ocasional. Tener móvil propio, jugar on-line con otras personas y la frecuencia de uso de Internet de lunes a viernes son factores de riesgo de cibervictimización severa. Se discuten las implicaciones de estos resultados de cara a la prevención, detección y tratamiento de la cibervictimización.

Keywords: Adolescence; Cybervictimization; Ex post facto study; Risk factors; Secondary Education.

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