Cyberbullying Among Chilean Students and the Protective Effects of Positive School Communities |
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| Authors: | Jorge J Varela Marc A Zimmerman Allison M Ryan Sarah A Stoddard |
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| Institution: | 1. Department of Psychology, Universidad del Desarollo, Santiago, Chile;2. Prevention Research Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA;3. School of Education, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA;4. School of Nursing, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA |
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| Abstract: | Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that involves the use of technology to harm other students. Most researchers have examined individual-level characteristics, but the perception of school climate and school characteristics such as type, size, and level of vulnerabilities have not been considered using multilevel methods. Using a sample of 8,237 Chilean seventh graders from 1,322 schools we examined individual- and school-level predictors of cyberbullying perpetration. Cyberbullying perpetration was predicted by prior victimization, interpersonal relationships, and gender. We found an interaction effect between interpersonal relationships and teacher support for victims. Our findings support the notion that school policies and culture can play a vital role in the prevention of cyberbullying, supporting a protective resilience model. |
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| Keywords: | cyberbullying multilevel model prevention schools |
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