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The role of Internet use and parental mediation on cyberbullying victimization among Spanish children from rural public schools

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Abstract

Cyberbullying victimization research on individual and familial correlates is scarce in Spain. By building upon previous studies, this research examines the role of Internet usage and parental mediation in online victimization. Spanish children from rural public schools (10–12 years; n = 1068) completed a self-report questionnaire which measured being cyberbullied, Internet use and parental mediation strategies. Logistic regression analyses examined the association among cyberbullying victimization, online activities, intensity and purposes of online communication, and restricting, evaluating and co-using parental mediation. The results show that Internet use, specifically online communication, increases the likelihood of cyberbullying victimization. Conversely, monitoring software installed on the computer, joint creation of rules regarding the time spent online and personal information shared help lessen the likelihood of online victimization. The results are examined in the light of previous research, while implications for practice and future research are considered.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Faculty of Education and Humanities, University of Castilla-La Mancha, Avda de los Alfares, 42, 16071, Cuenca, Spain

    Raúl Navarro, Cristina Serna & Verónica Martínez

  2. Málaga University, Faculty of Communication Science, Málaga, Spain

    Roberto Ruiz-Oliva

Authors
  1. Raúl Navarro
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  2. Cristina Serna
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  3. Verónica Martínez
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  4. Roberto Ruiz-Oliva
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Raúl Navarro.

Additional information

Raúl Navarro. University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Education and Humanities, Department of Psychology. Avda. de los Alfares, 42, 16071 Cuenca, Spain. Email: Raul.Navarro@uclm.es

Current themes of research:

Gender differences in aggressive behaviour. Social and educational factors associated with bullying and cyberbullying. School adjustment and aggression.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Navarro, R., Larrañaga, E. & Yubero, S. (2011). Bullying-victimization problems and aggressive tendencies in Spanish secondary school students: the role of gender stereotypical traits. Social Psychology of Education, 14, 457–473.

Navarro, R., Yubero, S., Larrañaga, E., & Martínez, V. (2012). Children’s Cyberbullying Victimization: Associations with Social Anxiety and Social Competence in a Spanish Sample. Child Indicators Research, 5, 281–295.

Cristina Serna. University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Social Work, Department of Psychology. Campus Universitario, s/n, 16071, Cuenca, Spain. Email: cristina.serna@uclm.es

Current themes of research:

School failure. Psychosocial factors associated with school adjustment.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Yubero, S., Larrañaga, E., & Serna, C. (2011). School and school failure. The challenges of educational exclusion. In L. Amador y G. Musitu (coords.), Social exclusion and diversity (pp. 169–192). México: Trillas. [Spanish language].

Yubero, S., Serna, C., & Larrañaga, E. (2009). School failure as a type of social exclusion. In S. Yubero, E. Larrañaga & J. F. Morales (coord.), Exclusion: new forms and new contexts (pp. 157–170). Cuenca: Editions of University of Castilla-La Mancha. [Spanish language].

Verónica Martínez. University of Castilla-La Mancha, Faculty of Education and Humanities, Department of Psychology. Avda. de los Alfares, 42, 16071 Cuenca, Spain. Email: v.martinezsp@gmail.com

Current themes of research:

Cyberbullying and bullying in schools. Gender stereotypes and learning processes.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Navarro, R., Yubero, S., Larrañaga, E., & Martínez, V. (2012). Children’s Cyberbullying Victimization: Associations with Social Anxiety and Social Competence in a Spanish Sample. Child Indicators Research, 5, 281–295.

Roberto Ruiz-Oliva. Málaga University, Faculty of Communication Science, Department of Journalism. Campus de Teatinos, 29071, Málaga, Spain.

Current themes of research:

Social Media, online communication and stereotypes in television.

Most relevant publications in the field of Psychology of Education:

Ruiz-Oliva, R. (2011). The talk show genre. Analysis and proposals for the academic study of an international television format and regional adaptations. In I. Bort, S. García, & M. Martín (eds.) New trends and hybrids of speeches in audiovisual contempary digital culture (pp. 319–330). Madrid: Social Science Editions. [Spanish language].

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Navarro, R., Serna, C., Martínez, V. et al. The role of Internet use and parental mediation on cyberbullying victimization among Spanish children from rural public schools. Eur J Psychol Educ 28, 725–745 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-012-0137-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-012-0137-2

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