A recent study conducted in the region of Extremadura, Spain, has shed light on the intricate relationship between cyberbullying and self-concept among secondary school students. The research, published in Espiral. Cuadernos del Profesorado, focused on how these two variables interact and differ based on gender and educational stage, specifically among students involved in physical education classes.
Cyberbullying, defined as the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending intimidating or threatening messages, has become increasingly prevalent with the rise of social media and other digital platforms. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can occur at any time, extending its reach far beyond the school day and the physical confines of school grounds. This anonymity frequently makes the psychological distress that victims experience worse, making it a particularly sneaky form of harassment.
The study analysed data from 1,155 students, comprising 48.8% boys and 51.2% girls, with the majority (75.9%) enrolled in Compulsory Secondary Education (CSE) and the remainder in Baccalaureate programmes. The researchers sought to understand how students’ self-concept – a multifaceted perception of themselves –correlates with their experiences of cyberbullying, whether as victims or perpetrators.
Self-concept is an essential aspect of adolescent development, encompassing various dimensions such as academic, social, emotional, family, and physical self-concept. The study revealed significant correlations between these dimensions and students’ experiences with cyberbullying. Notably, higher levels of self-concept in certain areas appeared to serve as protective factors against cyberbullying.
For instance, students were less likely to engage in or be the target of cyberbullying if they had stronger academic and family self-concepts. This was true across both genders and educational stages, although girls generally reported higher academic and emotional self-concepts, while boys reported better social, family, and physical self-concepts.
Interestingly, emotional self-concept showed a different pattern. While one might expect that a higher emotional self-concept would correlate with lower involvement in cyberbullying, the study found a positive association between emotional self-concept and participation in cyberbullying. This suggests that students with a stronger emotional self-concept may feel more empowered to engage in cyberbullying behaviours, although the reasons behind this require further exploration.
The study also highlighted differences between boys and girls in terms of self-concept and cyberbullying. While no significant gender differences were found in the overall rates of cyberbullying victimisation or perpetration, girls were slightly more likely to report being victims. This aligns with existing research suggesting that girls are more often targeted in cyberbullying incidents, potentially due to their more empathetic nature and the social contexts in which they interact.
In terms of educational stages, baccalaureate students were found to exhibit higher levels of cyberbullying behaviour compared to their CSE counterparts. This increase could be attributed to the greater autonomy and less supervision these older students experience, allowing them more opportunities to engage in online interactions that could lead to cyberbullying.
The findings of this study have important implications for educators and policymakers. Understanding that a robust self-concept in specific areas can protect against cyberbullying highlights the need for targeted interventions in schools. Programmes that foster students’ academic and family self-concepts, in particular, could help reduce the prevalence of cyberbullying.
The positive correlation between emotional self-concept and cyberbullying participation suggests that emotional intelligence training could be a double-edged sword, potentially equipping students with the emotional tools to both cope with and perpetrate cyberbullying. Therefore, any interventions must be carefully designed to promote empathy and responsible digital behaviour.
