Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies

Cyberbullying is a violent phenomenon that threatens health and development in adolescence. Some studies suggest that minority groups or those who deviate from socially desirable characteristics are at a greater risk of cyberbullying. However, there have been few studies on social stigma-based cyber...

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Main Authors: Antonio J. Rodríguez-Hidalgo, Victoria S. Camargo, Almudena Hurtado-Mellado
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-05-01
Series:Behavioral Sciences
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/5/646
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author Antonio J. Rodríguez-Hidalgo
Victoria S. Camargo
Almudena Hurtado-Mellado
author_facet Antonio J. Rodríguez-Hidalgo
Victoria S. Camargo
Almudena Hurtado-Mellado
author_sort Antonio J. Rodríguez-Hidalgo
collection DOAJ
description Cyberbullying is a violent phenomenon that threatens health and development in adolescence. Some studies suggest that minority groups or those who deviate from socially desirable characteristics are at a greater risk of cyberbullying. However, there have been few studies on social stigma-based cyberbullying (SSB). This study aims to carry out the following: to know the prevalence of roles of involvement in cyberbullying and SSB cyberbullying; to understand the possible relationships between SSB cybervictimization and SSB cyberaggression and the different dimensions of moral disengagement, moral emotions and social and emotional competencies; and to know the possible statistical associations between roles and the variables described above. A total of 601 secondary school students took part in this study, aged 12–19 (M = 14.22, SD = 1.355). A self-report battery of scales was employed to measure the constructs under investigation, and various statistical analyses were conducted. The results show that 22.29% are recognized as cybervictims, 7.82% as cyberaggressors and 35.11% as cybervictims/cyberaggressors in general cyberbullying. In SSB cyberbullying, the percentages were 20.30%, 3% and 8.32%, respectively. Moreover, it was revealed that SSB cyberaggression was related to moral disengagement and SSB cybervictimization was related to moral emotions. Social competence and emotional competence were positively related to social stigma-based cybervictimization. The results are discussed and new lines of research and interventions focused on social competences and moral emotions are proposed.
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spelling doaj-art-e487aff7495c45cf94c77bce99f78d9a2025-08-20T01:56:29ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2025-05-0115564610.3390/bs15050646Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral CompetenciesAntonio J. Rodríguez-Hidalgo0Victoria S. Camargo1Almudena Hurtado-Mellado2Department of Psychology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, SpainDepartment of Psychology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, SpainDepartment of Psychology, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, SpainCyberbullying is a violent phenomenon that threatens health and development in adolescence. Some studies suggest that minority groups or those who deviate from socially desirable characteristics are at a greater risk of cyberbullying. However, there have been few studies on social stigma-based cyberbullying (SSB). This study aims to carry out the following: to know the prevalence of roles of involvement in cyberbullying and SSB cyberbullying; to understand the possible relationships between SSB cybervictimization and SSB cyberaggression and the different dimensions of moral disengagement, moral emotions and social and emotional competencies; and to know the possible statistical associations between roles and the variables described above. A total of 601 secondary school students took part in this study, aged 12–19 (M = 14.22, SD = 1.355). A self-report battery of scales was employed to measure the constructs under investigation, and various statistical analyses were conducted. The results show that 22.29% are recognized as cybervictims, 7.82% as cyberaggressors and 35.11% as cybervictims/cyberaggressors in general cyberbullying. In SSB cyberbullying, the percentages were 20.30%, 3% and 8.32%, respectively. Moreover, it was revealed that SSB cyberaggression was related to moral disengagement and SSB cybervictimization was related to moral emotions. Social competence and emotional competence were positively related to social stigma-based cybervictimization. The results are discussed and new lines of research and interventions focused on social competences and moral emotions are proposed.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/5/646cyberbullyingsocial stigma-based cyberbullyingmoral disengagementmoral emotionssocioemotional competences
spellingShingle Antonio J. Rodríguez-Hidalgo
Victoria S. Camargo
Almudena Hurtado-Mellado
Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies
Behavioral Sciences
cyberbullying
social stigma-based cyberbullying
moral disengagement
moral emotions
socioemotional competences
title Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies
title_full Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies
title_fullStr Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies
title_full_unstemmed Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies
title_short Cyberbullying Based on Social Stigmas and Social, Emotional and Moral Competencies
title_sort cyberbullying based on social stigmas and social emotional and moral competencies
topic cyberbullying
social stigma-based cyberbullying
moral disengagement
moral emotions
socioemotional competences
url https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/15/5/646
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