Li Eriksson, Tara Renae McGee, Viktoria Rosse, Christine Bond and Nicole Horstman
New ways of perpetrating relational aggression have been facilitated by the increased availability and adoption of technology for communication, resulting in growing…
Abstract
Purpose
New ways of perpetrating relational aggression have been facilitated by the increased availability and adoption of technology for communication, resulting in growing cyberaggression rates over the past few decades. Few studies have examined whether perpetrators of cyberaggression are more likely to target friends or romantic partners (or both) and whether this differs across the gender of the perpetrator. This is the key focus of the current study.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants completed an online survey which assessed three types of cyberaggression (threatened to share secrets, shared secrets and posted embarrassing pictures) against friends and then also against romantic partners. The sample included 678 undergraduate university students who were in a romantic relationship at the time of the survey (72.6% female and 27.4% male, age range 18–50 years, average 21.7 and SD = 4.5).
Findings
The results of this study showed that a significantly higher proportion of males than females perpetrated cyberaggression against friends and romantic partners. In addition, a significantly higher proportion of males engaged in “general” cyberaggression (targeting both friends and romantic partners), whilst a higher proportion of females engaged in “selective” cyberaggression (targeting either friends or romantic partners).
Originality/value
Collectively, this study tells us that whilst there has been wide examination of cyberaggression more broadly, very few studies explore who perpetrators target (i.e. the victim–offender relationship), especially across gender of the perpetrator. The current study is original in that it asks perpetrators to report who they target and then examines gender differences in perpetration rates across victim–offender relationships.
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Tara Renae McGee, James G. Scott, John J. McGrath, Gail M. Williams, Michael O'Callaghan, William Bor and Jake M. Najman
The purpose of this paper is to report on the association between bullying victimisation and various internalizing and externalizing behaviours including anxiety and depression…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to report on the association between bullying victimisation and various internalizing and externalizing behaviours including anxiety and depression, somatic problems, withdrawn behaviour, aggressive and delinquent behaviour.
Design/methodology/approach
Data for this research come from the Mater‐University of Queensland Study of Pregnancy and its Outcomes (MUSP) a prospective cohort study of mothers and their children which began in Brisbane in 1981, assessing the impact of experiences of being bullied at 14 years of age and YASR outcomes at 21 years of age. Brisbane is the capital city of the State of Queensland, Australia. The site for the research was the Brisbane Mater Misericordiae Mothers' Hospital (MMH), which is one of the two major obstetric units in Brisbane. In effect all pregnant women attending a publicly‐funded obstetrical service over a three‐year period were recruited to the study (about 50 percent of women attend public obstetrical services in Queensland).
Findings
The authors find that: first, there is no association between the experience of being bullied and young adult anxiety and depression, as well as some other outcomes (withdrawn, intrusive behaviour); second, for both males and females, there are increased rates of attention problems for those children who have been bullied; and third, males and females respond somewhat differently to being bullied, with males reporting more aggressive behaviour and females reporting more somatic problems.
Originality/value
Overall, the findings suggest that the likely impact of being bullied may not be widespread across mental health domains, and that the impact may differ somewhat depending upon whether the person bullied is a male or female.
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Renee Denham, Tara Renae McGee, Li Eriksson, John McGrath, Rosana Norman, Michael Sawyer and James Scott
Whilst overt bullying has received considerable attention for its negative impact on the emotional well-being of children and adolescents, peer problems such as excessive teasing…
Abstract
Purpose
Whilst overt bullying has received considerable attention for its negative impact on the emotional well-being of children and adolescents, peer problems such as excessive teasing and social exclusion have received less consideration. The purpose of this paper is to examine the prevalence, demographic, and clinical correlates of frequent peer problems in children and adolescents who participated in the Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Well-Being.
Design/methodology/approach
Participants were a nationally representative sample of 2,107 children (aged 6-12 years), and 1,490 adolescents (aged 13-17 years). Frequent peer problems (excessive teasing or social exclusion) were measured by parental report for children, and self and parental report for adolescents. Associations with a number of mental health problems were examined, including being in the clinical range for internalising and externalising symptoms, having major depressive disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or conduct disorder, low self-esteem, experiencing suicidal ideation and behaviour, or using marijuana and alcohol.
Findings
One in 30 children and one in 20 adolescents experienced frequent peer problems. Parents less commonly identified frequent peer problems than were self-reported by their adolescent children. Frequent peer problems were strongly associated with all mental health problems except alcohol and marijuana use.
Originality/value
Frequent peer problems are associated with a greatly increased risk of mental health problems. Identifying those children and adolescents with frequent peer problems provides opportunity for assessment and intervention of emotional and behavioural problems.