Mental Health Outcomes and Associated Malleable Factors of Cyberbullying: A Gendered Investigation in Primary Students

• In Event: AERA Roundtable Session Saturday 3:20 pm Four Seasons Ballroom 2-3
  In Roundtable Session: Critical Intersections of Mental Health and Social Media (Table 2)

Abstract

This study examines the mental health outcomes and predictors of cyberbullying experiences with a particular focus on gender differences among primary school students. Data from 1,009 students and their parents from 19 primary schools in Hong Kong, collected through an online survey, were analyzed using a two-part model in which cyberbullying experience was modeled as two latent variables: probability (likelihood of occurrence) and severity (intensity when it occurs). Results indicated that the probability, but not the severity, of cyberbullying negatively predicted subjective well-being. Higher digital literacy and lower academic stress predicted lower cyberbullying severity for girls, while less online activity predicted lower cyberbullying severity for boys. Healthy family functioning was associated with a lower probability of perpetration only for girls.

Authors

• Qianqian Pan, Nanyang Technological University

• Sisi Tao, Education University of Hong Kong

• Qianru Liang, Jinan University

• Min Lan, Zhejiang Normal University

• Nancy W.Y. Law, University of Hong Kong

• Cheng Yong Tan, University of Hong Kong