Cited by 6Bullying, Victimization, and AggressionImpact of Technology on AdolescentsHate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection

Cyberbullying and its protective and risk factors among Polish adolescents

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Łosiak-Pilch, Julia, Grygiel, Paweł, Ostafińska-Molik, Barbara, Wysocka, Ewa·2022·Current Issues in Personality Psychology

Abstract

Introduction: Cyberbullying has recently attracted attention because of its increasing occurrence and serious consequences for victims. The purpose of the study was to examine the prevalence rates of cyberbullying and the association between cyberbullying and protective/risk factors (cognitive empathy, assertiveness, cooperation, pro-social behaviour, and social support) among Polish adolescents. Material and methods: Participants (822 students, 448 girls and 374 boys, M = 12.97, SD = 1.02) completed a computer-based online questionnaire. Results: The majority of respondents did not experience cyberbullying in the last six months, while a significant group still experienced cyberbullying regularly (28.1%). Engaging in cyberbullying appeared to be even less common: it was reported by 12.3% of respondents. Family and peer social support appeared to be the strongest protective factor against experiencing cyberbullying while assertiveness was a characteristic that makes a person more likely to engage in cyberbullying. Conclusions: The results of our study can serve as guidance for preventive interventions against cyberbullying.

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  • Adolescents with high levels of assertiveness tend to have a lower risk of abuse or exploitation because they can maintain personal integrity in interpersonal relationships.

    “Adolescents with high levels of assertiveness tend to have a lower risk of abuse or exploitation because they can maintain personal integrity in interpersonal relationships (Łosiak-Pilch et al., 2022).”

    From Surfing Online Safety: Assertiveness and Parental Involvement in Adolescents’ Attitudes Toward Cyber Grooming (2025) · cites this paper as Łosiak-Pilch et al., 2022

    The Discussion (page unavailable) suggests that assertive adolescents may appear stronger to peers and provoke less aggression, offering limited support for a lower risk of cyberbullying. It does not address abuse or exploitation generally, or say that maintaining personal integrity is the reason. The Results (Multinomial Logistic Regression Model; page unavailable) also report that greater assertiveness increased the odds for one cyberbullying category. (LLM, conf=0.85)

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Authors
Łosiak-Pilch, J., Grygiel, P., Ostafińska-Molik, B., & Wysocka, E.
Affiliations
Jagiellonian University (PL)
Corresponding author
Łosiak-Pilch, Julia
Venue
Current Issues in Personality Psychology
Published
2022-01-24
Volume
10
Issue
3
Pages
190-204
ISSN
  • 2353-4192 (ISSN-L)
  • 2353-561X
OpenAlex
W4210724712
Cited by
6
References
5
Citations by year
2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 1
FWCI
1.42
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-sa
Locations
  • Current Issues in Personality Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Homo Politicus (Academy of Humanities and Economics in Lodz) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Bullying, Victimization, and Aggression
  • Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Impact of Technology on Adolescents
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Artificial Intelligence › Hate Speech and Cyberbullying Detection
Keywords
cyberbullying, adolescents, protective factors, risk factors, cognitive empathy, assertiveness, social support, peer support, family support, prosocial behavior, cooperation, prevalence of cyberbullying, cyberbullying prevention, Polish adolescents

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