Cyberbullying in adolescents and youth in the Basque Country: prevalence of cybervictims, cyberaggressors, and cyberobservers

Abstract

This study is based on current concern about peer violence. The main goal of the study was to identify the prevalence of cyberbullying in the Basque Country (northern Spain). The sample comprised 3026 participants aged between 12 and 18 years. The Cyberbullying Test was administered, using a descriptive and correlational design. The results show that 69.8% of the sample was involved in cyberbullying (suffered, seen, and/or performed it one or more times in the past year), 30.2% were cybervictims, 15.5% were cyberaggressors, and 65.1% were cyberobservers. The most prevalent behaviors were stealing someone’s password, anonymous frightening phone calls, sending offensive/insulting messages, and slandering by lying about someone in order to discredit. Positive correlations were found between cybervictimization, cyberaggression, and cyberobservation, and contingency analysis showed that only one-third of the cybervictims were cyberaggressors. The study provides precise information about the prevalence of cyberbullying in the Basque Country, and allows comparison of the information provided by all the roles involved (cybervictims, cyberaggressors, and cyberobservers). The study confirms the noteworthy prevalence of cyberbullying in the Basque Country, which is convergent with that found in other countries. The empirical evidence suggests the need for active prevention and intervention strategies from educational, family, community, and clinical-therapeutic settings.

Keywords:

• cyberbullying
• adolescence
• youth
• prevalence
• violence

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed by the Ministry of Economics and Competitiveness (MINECO) [grant number PSI2012-30956], by the Department of Education of the Basque Government [grant number IT-638-13], and by the University of the Basque Country [grant number UFI PSIXXI 11/04].