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Adolescent Involvement in Cybergossip: Influence on Social Adjustment, Bullying and Cyberbullying

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 February 2022

Cristina María García-Fernández Open the ORCID record for Cristina María García-Fernández [Opens in a new window] ,
Miriam Moreno-Moya Open the ORCID record for Miriam Moreno-Moya [Opens in a new window] ,
Rosario Ortega-Ruiz Open the ORCID record for Rosario Ortega-Ruiz [Opens in a new window]  and
Eva M. Romera Open the ORCID record for Eva M. Romera [Opens in a new window]
Cristina María García-Fernández*
Affiliation:
Universidad de Córdoba (Spain)
Miriam Moreno-Moya
Affiliation:
Universidad de Córdoba (Spain)
Rosario Ortega-Ruiz
Affiliation:
Universidad de Córdoba (Spain)
Eva M. Romera
Affiliation:
Universidad de Córdoba (Spain)
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Cristina María García Fernández. Universidad de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias de la Educación. 14071 Córdoba (Spain). E-mail: m12gafec@uco.es
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Abstract

Gossip is a type of social behavior present in all types of social networks, and cybergossip is an emerging kind of online social behavior which can both promote and hinder relationships between peers. The aim of this study was to explore the relation between involvement in cybergossip and the development of behavior of social adjustment, bullying and cyberbullying (aggression and victimization), based on gender and age. A total of 510 secondary school students (49.4% girls) aged 12 to 17 years old (M = 14.01; SD = 1.38) were surveyed by self-report. Questionnaires validated with adolescents were used to measure bullying, social adjustment and cyberbullying. The results showed that a high prevalence of involvement in cybergossip was associated with bullying and cyberbullying behavior (aggression and victimization), with girls showing the greatest involvement in cybergossip. The discussion of the results focuses on the gender difference, as well as the importance of the need for training in the proper use of digital devices for social education and socialization.

Keywords

bullyingcyberbullyingcybergossipsecondary educationsocial adjustment
Type
Review Article
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 25 , 2022 , e6
Copyright
© Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2022

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Footnotes

Conflicts of Interest: None.

Funding Statement: This work was supported by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación de España, “Toma de decisiones y sensibilidad moral en el marco de las redes de iguales y el fenómeno del acoso: Un estudio longitudinal” (Ref. PSI2020–113911–RB–I00).

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