Teens who think their parents are loving are less likely to be
cyberbullies

Date:
September 2, 2020
Source:
New York University
Summary:
Adolescents who perceive their parents to be loving and supportive
are less likely to engage in cyberbullying, according to a new
study.



FULL STORY ========================================================================== Adolescents who perceive their parents to be loving and supportive are
less likely to engage in cyberbullying, according to a new study by
researchers at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing.


==========================================================================
The findings, published in the International Journal of Bullying
Prevention, are especially relevant given changes in family life created
by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"With remote learning replacing classroom instruction for many young
people, and cell phones and social media standing in for face-to-face interaction with friends, there are more opportunities for cyberbullying
to occur," said Laura Grunin, a doctoral student at NYU Meyers and the
study's lead author. "New family dynamics and home stressors are also
at play, thanks to higher unemployment rates and more parents working
from home." More than half of U.S. teens report having experience with cyberbullying, or online behavior that may involve harassment, insults, threats, or spreading rumors.

"Understanding what factors are related to a young person's cyberbullying
of peers is important for developing ways that families, schools, and communities can prevent bullying or intervene when it occurs," said Sally
S. Cohen, clinical professor at NYU Meyers and the study's senior author.

Gary Yu, associate research scientist and adjunct associate professor
at NYU Meyers, coauthored the study with Grunin and Cohen.



========================================================================== Using data from the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Behavior in
School- Aged Children survey, the researchers analyzed responses from
12,642 U.S. pre- teens and teens (ages 11 to 15 years old) surveyed in 2009-2010, the most recent WHO data on school-aged children collected
in the United States. The adolescents were asked about their bullying behaviors, as well their perceptions of certain family characteristics, including their relationship with their parents.

The researchers found that the more adolescents perceived their parents
as loving, the less likely they were to engage in cyberbullying. When
asked if their parents are loving, youth who said "almost never" were
over six times more likely to engage in high levels of cyberbullying than
those who answered that their parent is "almost always" loving. Other
types of emotional support, including how much teens feel their parents
help and understand them, also contributed to the likelihood of whether
young people engaged in cyberbullying behavior.

"Our findings point to the importance of parental emotional support
as a factor that may influence whether teens cyberbully -- and more importantly, it is how teens perceive the support they receive from their parents," said Grunin. "I would stress to parents it is not necessarily
if they think they are being supportive, but what their adolescent
thinks. Parents should strive to discern their teen's perception
of parental emotional support as it might be associated with youth cyberbullying behavior." Certain demographic factors were also related
to teens' likelihood of cyberbullying. Girls were much less likely than
boys to exhibit high levels of cyberbullying. Race also played a role:
Asian American adolescents were the least likely to be cyberbullies, while African American teens were less likely than white teens to engage in
lower levels of cyberbullying and more likely to engage in higher levels.

Cohen added, "Since 2010, when the survey was conducted, technology
and social media have become increasingly ubiquitous in teens' lives;
the increase in screen time during the current pandemic poses new
challenges. Online access and anonymity in posts create widespread opportunities for cyberbullying." The researchers note that educators,
health professionals, social media experts, and others working in youth development should take family dynamics into account when creating
programs to address cyberbullying.

"While our study doesn't prove that a lack of parental support directly
causes cyberbullying, it does suggest that children's relationships
with their parents might influence their bullying behaviors. These relationships should be considered when developing interventions to
prevent cyberbullying," said Grunin.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by New_York_University. Note: Content
may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Laura Grunin, Gary Yu, Sally S. Cohen. The Relationship Between
Youth
Cyberbullying Behaviors and Their Perceptions of Parental Emotional
Support. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 2020; DOI:
10.1007/s42380-020-00080-5 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200902101822.htm

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