Problematic Social Media Use and Cyber Aggression in Italian Adolescents: The Remarkable Role of Social Support
Borraccino A, Marengo N, Dalmasso P, Marino C, Ciardullo S, Nardone P, Lemma P, Lemma P, The Hbsc-Italia Group
International journal of environmental research and public health · 13 citations
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Health markers and function
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
- University or hospital
- Università degli Studi di Siena
- Government
- Ministero della Salute
- University or hospital
- Università degli Studi di Padova
- Government
- Regione Campania
- Government
- Istituto Superiore di Sanità
- University or hospital
- Università degli Studi di Torino
- Government
- Regione Abruzzo
- Government
- Regione Basilicata
- Government
- Regione Calabria
- Government
- Regione del Veneto
- Government
- Regione Emilia-Romagna
- Government
- Regione Lazio
- Government
- Regione Liguria
- Government
- Regione Lombardia
- Government
- Regione Marche
- Government
- Regione Molise
- Government
- Regione Piemonte
- Government
- Regione Puglia
- Government
- Regione Toscana
- Government
- Regione Umbria
- Government
- Provincia Autonoma di Trento
- Government
- Provincia autonoma di Bolzano - Alto Adige
- Government
- Italian National Institute of Health
- Government
- Ministry of Health through the National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (CCM)
Based on 24 listed funder(s) and full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2022-08-08 · Int J Environ Res Public Health · vol. 19 · issue 15 · p. 9763
- Publisher
- Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute
- Cited
- 34 citations · more than 97% of similar papers · 6.6× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 45 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Child Development and Digital Technology
- Keywords
- social media addiction, cyberbullying, online aggression, cyber victimization, social support, family support, peer support, teacher support, adolescents, gender differences, age differences, Italian adolescents
- MeSH
- humans, aggression, social support, adolescent, child, crime victims, female, male, bullying, social media, cyberbullying
8 authors
From IT
- Alberto Borraccino · correspondingUniversity of Turin
- Noemi MarengoUniversity of Turin
- Paola DalmassoUniversity of Turin
- Claudia MarinoUniversity of Padua
- Silvia CiardulloIstituto Superiore di Sanità; National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
- Paola NardoneIstituto Superiore di Sanità; National Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
Abstract
The recent increase in electronic and social media use among young people has highlighted the importance of focusing on problematic social media use (PSMU) and the concurrent phenomenon of cyber aggression, as well as the role of social support. As part of the 2018 Health Behavior in School-aged Children study in Italy, this study aims to explore the role of family, peer, and teacher support in the association between cyberbullying and PSMU.
Methods
Data were collected from 4183 school classes in Italy for a total of 58,976 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years. The prevalence of cyber aggression (both cybervictimization and perpetration) and PSMU was estimated across subgroups of different age, gender, and geographical residence. A set of multivariable logistic regressions was then used to investigate the association between cyberbullying and PSMU, considering the effect of social support.
Results
Cybervictimization was more frequent among girls than in boys. PSMU was higher in 11-year-old boys and 13-year-old girls; 8.3% and 12.7%, respectively. Social support was highest in 11-year-olds, for both sexes, and then decreased with increasing age. The risk of cyberbullying, both suffered and perpetrated, was higher in girls and in the presence of PSMU. Social support showed to be highly protective against PSMU and cyberbullying in all ages and both genders.
Conclusion
Although cyber aggression is less represented in Italy than in other European countries, it is likely to increase. PSMU appears to be an important contributor to the risk of cyber aggression; however, social support has been shown to be capable of reducing the risk of both phenomena. Public health policies fostering familiar and school support can help protect adolescents' mental health, reducing the risk of problematic media use and cyberbullying.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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