2-112 - Advanced Statistical Methods in the Study of Online Victimization Among Adolescents of Color

Session Type: Paper Symposium

Integrative Statement

An increasing number of studies have shown online victimization in the form of bullying/harassment and racial discrimination is associated with poor adjustment among adolescents. This research tends to be more descriptive and often cross-sectional and thus cannot address how online victimization impacts youth over time. As growing numbers of youth of color are victimized in online settings, it is also important to understand the risk and protective factors associated with these experiences.

The papers in this symposium address these gaps in the literature by utilizing more advanced statistical approaches. Presentations draw from one of the most comprehensive datasets to date: a three-wave longitudinal study of online victimization and related academic and social-emotional outcomes. This dataset oversampled Latino and African American participants and also assessed the cultural resources they possess that may buffer against negative adjustment outcomes.

The first paper examines the relationship between online bullying/harassment, depression and anxiety over time, adding to the cross-sectional studies of mental health outcomes. The second paper examines the relationship between online racial discrimination and traditional discrimination experienced by African American and Latino youth across three time points. This paper uses a multivariate latent growth curve model to examine whether offline experiences of racial discrimination are related to online racial discrimination over time. The third uses structural equation modeling to examine online harassment and the protective function of social support. The final paper is the first to show that online experiences, including ethnic identity exploration and discrimination, are related to empathy across two time points.

Sub Unit

• Race, Ethnicity, Culture, Context

Chair

• Brendesha Tynes, University of Southern California

Individual Presentations

• Longitudinal Associations between Online Bullying and Harassment, Depression, and Anxiety Among Adolescents - Presenting Author: Chad Allen Rose, University of Missouri; Brendesha Tynes, University of Southern California; Sophia Hiss, University of Southern California

• Longitudinal Relations of Peer, Adult and Online Racial Discrimination among African American and Latino Youth - Presenting Author: Eleanor K Seaton, Arizona State University; Brendesha Tynes, University of Southern California; Fantasy T. Lozada, University of Michigan

• Online Harassment and the Role of Social Support in Adolescent Adjustment - Presenting Author: Sophia Hiss, University of Southern California; Brendesha Tynes, University of Southern California; Chad Allen Rose, University of Missouri

• Black Adolescents’ Race-related Online Experiences and Empathy Development - Presenting Author: Brendesha Tynes, University of Southern California; Fantasy T. Lozada, University of Michigan