Poster #220 - Cyber Victimization and Bullying: Association with Gender and Personality Traits

• In Event: 1-061 - Poster Session 02
  In Poster Session: PS 02 Section - Social Relationships

Integrative Statement

Despite similarities between face-to-face and cyber victimization, there may be unique negative implications for victims of cyber bullying (e.g., Bronanno & Hymel, 2013). Many studies have examined individual factors (e.g., self-esteem, loneliness) associated with either cyber bullying (see meta-analysis by Guo, 2016). However, few studies have examined the Big 5 personality traits with respect to cyber bullying; these studies have yielded contradictory findings (e.g., Kokkinos, Darlara, Koufogazou, & Paaptziki, 2013; Semerci, 2017). As personality is a relatively stable individual characteristic (Hampson & Goldberg, 2006), it has the potential to provide important information about this population. In particular, research is needed to 1) examine how gender may interact with personality, as males are more likely to cyber bully (e.g., Guo, 2016), and 2) compare these results to face-to-face victimization/bullying. Participants were 108 college students (Male = 32; Female = 76) recruited from a university population as part of an IRB-approved research project. Each participant was asked about their experiences with cyber victimization (12 items, alpha = .87), cyber perpetration (12 items, alpha = .87), face-to-face victimization (8 items, alpha = .74), and face-to-face perpetration (8 items alpha = .79) using an adapted measure of victimization (Crick & Grotpeter, 1996). Participants also completed the Ten Item Personality Measure (Gosling, Rentfrow, & Swan, 2003) and reported their gender and internet use. Preliminary analyses revealed a gender difference in face-to-face perpetration, t (39.62) = 2.65, p < .05, with males reporting more engagement in face-to-face bullying (M = 1.79, SD = 0.64) than females (M = 1.46, SD = 0.36). There were also gender differences in internet use, with females (M = 2.60, SD = 0.72) reporting more internet use than males (M = 2.21, SD = 0.63). No gender differences in victimization or in any of the personality variables was found. Table 1 shows that agreeableness, conscientiousness, and emotional stability were correlated to at least one of the victimization or perpetration variables. Next, hierarchical regressions for the perpetration/victimization variables were conducted with internet use and gender entered in the first step, the personality variables included stepwise in the second step, and gender interactions with each of the personality variables included stepwise in the third step. Emotional stability was negatively related to both cyber and face-to-face victimization after controlling for gender and internet use (Cyber: β = -0.21, t(104) = -2.01, p < .05; Face-to-face: β = -0.25, t(104) = -2.52, p < .05 ). Conscientiousness was related to lower levels of face-to-face perpetration (β = -0.21, t(104) = -2.32, p < .05). Agreeableness (β = -0.20, t = -2.11, p < .05) and conscientiousness (β = -0.21, t(102) = -2.24, p < .05) were both related to lower levels of online perpetration. In addition, conscientiousness interacted with gender, in that it was only a significant factor for males’ engagement in cyber bullying. In summary, personality was a significant factor in both cyber and face-to-face victimization and bullying behavior and may be particularly important in understanding boys’ engagement in bullying.

Author

• Daneen P Deptula, Fitchburg State University
  Presenting Author