Predictors of victimisation across direct bullying, indirect bullying and cyberbullying

none5noCyberbullying may, in some cases, be an extension of traditional bullying. However, some particular features of cyberbullying suggest that it may have a distinct causal pathway, due to the particular social context within which the peer social processes occur, i.e the virtual environment. Moreover, the literature suggests that boys and girls may perceive and respond differentially to their social context, which may heighten the risk for victimization. The current study aimed at describing how the perceived relational context (school, peers and family) may influence the probability of becoming a victim both in offline and virtual contexts among boys and girls. A questionnaire (measuring the school climate; global, family and peer self-esteem; loneliness in relationship with peer and family; and victimization in traditional and cyberbullying) was completed by 2326 Italian adolescents (mean age=13.9 years). Concerning traditional bullying, a negative perception of school climate, and of loneliness in relations with peers were significant predictors of victimization both in males and females, while age and a lower global self-esteem predicted traditional victimization among males only, highlighting some differences in function of gender. Concerning cybervictimization, our findings suggested a strong continuity between being a victim in traditional and cyberbullying, with an element of distinction in cyberbullying, compared to traditional victimization, represented by the role of the family context, although with gender-related differences: for males, a lower self-esteem in the family relationships was a predictor of cybervictimization, while for females the significant predictor was a perception of loneliness in relationships with family. In conclusion, the present study reveals significant implications for understanding the continuity/discontinuity between traditional bullying and cyberbullying and for the development of intervention strategies, taking into account some differences in function of gender.L'articolo si colloca all'interno di uno special issue della rivista dedicato alle ricerche sulle conseguenze del bullismo elettronico, curato dal prof. Smith, massima autorità scientifica del settore. Gli autori selezionati sono i rappresentanti più influenti della ricerca sul campo e presentano ricerche che per la prima volta cercano di superare l'approccio puramente descrittivo al cyberbullying verso una comprensione dei meccanismi di protezione e di rischio connessi al fenomeno. DOI:10.1080/13632752.2012.704684mixedBrighi A; Guarini A; Melotti G; Galli S; Genta M.L.Brighi A; Guarini A; Melotti G; Galli S; Genta M.L