Abstract
OBJECTIVES: To examine the prevalence and predictors associated with cybervictimization among preadolescents in a community-based sample from Canada.
METHODS: Data were drawn from a cohort of 5783 students of grades 5–8, aged 9–14 from 109 elementary schools at the Saskatoon Health Region, Saskatchewan of Canada based on the Student Health Survey in the year of 2010–2011. Multivariate logistic regression with the generalized estimating equation was used to determine the individual and contextual factors associated with self-reported cybervictimization.
RESULTS: Of the 5783 school children, 5611 (97.0%) responded to the question regarding cybervictimization. Among those respondents, 572 (10.2%) reported being cyberbullied at least once in the past four weeks. The students most likely to be victimized by cyberbullying were girls, students in grades 7 and 8 compared with grade 5, Aboriginal students compared to non-Aboriginal students, those who had lived part of their life outside of Canada compared with those who lived all of their life in Canada, those who reported drinking alcohol in the past, those who reported very elevated depressive symptoms, those who were traditionally bullied, those who had low self-esteem, and those who had a poor relationship with their parents. School-level variation in cyberbullying victimization is negligible. School neighbour-level deprivation is not significant after adjusting for individual-level characteristics and parent-child relationship.
CONCLUSION: Our findings identified important characteristics of préadolescents with higher susceptibility to cybervictimization in a Canadian setting, which can be used to develop intervention strategies for mitigating cybervictimization among the study population.
Key words: Cyberbullying victimization, ecological systems theory, psychological factors, traditional bullying
Résumé
OBJECTIFS: Examiner la prévalence et les variables prédictives associées à la cybervictimisation chez les préadolescents dans un échantillon communautaire au Canada.
MÉTHODE: Les données provenaient d’une cohorte de 5 783 élèves de la 5e à la 8e année âgés de 9 à 14 ans et fréquentant 109 écoles primaires de la Région sanitaire de Saskatoon (en Saskatchewan, au Canada) d’après une enquête sur la santé des élèves (Student Health Survey) menée en 2010–2011. Une analyse de régression logistique multivariée avec équation d’estimation généralisée a servi à déterminer les facteurs individuels et contextuels associés à la cybervictimisation autodéclarée.
RÉSULTATS: Sur 5 783 enfants d’âge scolaire, 5 611 (97 %) ont répondu à la question sur la cybervictimisation. De ces répondants, 572 (10,2 %) ont déclaré avoir été victimes de cyberintimidation au moins une fois au cours des quatre semaines précédentes. Les élèves les plus susceptibles d’avoir été victimes de cyberintimidation étaient les filles, les élèves de 7e et de 8e année (par opposition aux élèves de 5e année), les élèves autochtones (par opposition aux élèves non autochtones), les élèves ayant vécu une partie de leur vie hors du Canada (par opposition à ceux ayant vécu au Canada toute leur vie), les élèves ayant déclaré avoir bu de l’alcool par le passé, ceux ayant déclaré des symptômes dépressifs très élevés, ceux ayant été victimes de brimades classiques, ceux qui avaient une faible estime de soi, et ceux qui étaient en mauvais termes avec leurs parents. Les écarts d’une école à l’autre en matière de cyberintimidation étaient négligeables. La défavorisation des écoles selon le quartier n’était pas un facteur significatif après élimination des effets des caractéristiques individuelles et de la qualité de la relation parent-enfant.
CONCLUSION: Nos résultats ont mis en lumière d’importantes caractéristiques chez les préadolescents les plus susceptibles d’être victimes de cyberintimidation dans un milieu canadien; ils peuvent servir à élaborer des stratégies d’intervention pour atténuer la cybervictimisation dans la population étudiée.
Mots clés: cybervictimisation, théorie des systèmes écologiques, facteurs psychologiques, brimades classiques
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