The connection of committing and experiencing cyber-bullying peer
violence with depression, anxiety and stress in high school students
Abstract
This research has aimed to determine whether cyber-bullying peer
violence is associated with depression, anxiety and stress in high
school students. The research results are based on the data obtained
from a sample of 202 Montenegrin high school students. It has been
established that committing and experiencing e-violence is associated
with depression. Committing and experiencing verbal online violence, as
well as involvement in online counterfeiting/criminal acts, is
associated with depression, while involvement in online identity
concealment and lies has no connection with depression. When it comes to
anxiety, the results of this research show that involvement in verbal
e-violence and in online counterfeiting/criminal acts leads to anxiety,
while committing and experiencing online identity concealmentis not
related to anxiety. When it comes to committing and experiencing verbal
online violence and stress, although there is a statistically
significant difference, it is not applicable for all values.
Consequently, we cannot draw a strong enough conclusion about it.
Victims of online counterfeiting and criminal acts, according to the
results of our research, have a higher level of stress than those not
involved in this type of cyber-bullying peer violence.
Cyber victim and bullying scale has been used to collect data on
committing and experiencing e-violence among peers (Cetin, Yaman and
Peker, 2011).Permission to use this scale was requested and obtained.
The scale examines experiencing and committing online violence. It
consists of two parts, each part containing 22 particles. In the first
part (Experiencing cyber-bullying subscale), participants have
assessed whether the described behavior happened to them,on a scale from
1 (never) to 5 (always). In the second part (Committing
cyber-bullying subscale), and with identical particles, respondents
have assessed whether they themselves behaved in this way.
In our research, we have performed a factor analysis of the
Cyber victim and bulling scale .
When it comes to the Committing cyber-bullying subscale, the
percentage of explained variance amounts to 55.141%, whereas factor
analysis also points to 3 factors, namely: a) verbal online violence; b)
online identity concealment and lies; and c) online counterfeiting and
criminal acts.
When it comes to the Experiencing cyber-bullying subscale, the
percentage of explained variance amounts to 65,211%, whereas factor
analysis also points to 3 factors, namely: a) verbal online violence; b)
online identity concealment and lies; and c) online counterfeiting and
criminal acts. We have used a scale for assessing the depression,
anxiety and stress levels (DASS21) to determine whether experiencing
e-violence leads to depression, anxiety and stress,and to what extent.
We have chosen this scale because the results of a research checking its
psychometric qualities have indicated that the DASS-21 scale’s
psychometric qualities recommend it for use in researching unpleasant
emotional states in adolescents. DASS-21 is a 21-item self-report
measure giving three subclasses of seven items each: depression ,
anxiety and stress. Participants have been asked to indicate which
statement applied to them over the past week on the Likert 4-point
scale. DASS-21 has high reliability, consistent factor structure and
high convergent valiadity. We did not have to ask permission for this
scale and it can be used freely.