Effects of a brief preventive intervention in cyberbullying and grooming in adolescents

  1. Esther Calvete
  2. Nerea Cortazar
  3. Liria Fernández-González
  4. Ainara Echezarraga
  5. Marta Beranuy
  6. Ana León
  7. Joaquín González-Cabrera
  8. Izaskun Orue
Journal:
Psychosocial Intervention

ISSN: 1132-0559

Year of publication: 2021

Issue Title: Bullying and Cyberbullying

Volume: 30

Issue: 2

Pages: 75-84

Type: Article

DOI: 10.5093/PI2020A22 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: Psychosocial Intervention

Sustainable development goals

Abstract

ABSTRACT The development of brief and inexpensive interventions that reduce risky behaviors in adolescence constitute a challenge for current research. This study addresses the prevention of two online behavior problems in adolescents (cyberbullying and online grooming). Two pilot studies evaluated the effects of a 1-hour intervention, which combined self-affirmation (SA) with the incremental theory of personality (ITP), for cyberbullying and online grooming. Study 1 involved 339 adolescents (51% male, mean age = 14.12 years, SD = 0.70), who were randomly assigned to the SA + ITP intervention or one of two control conditions. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that the SA + ITP intervention reduced the reciprocity between sexual solicitation and sexualized interaction with adults, as well as between cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. Study 2 included 214 adolescents (50.3% male, mean age = 14.06 years, SD = 0.96), who were randomly assigned to the SA + ITP or a control condition. Hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that the SA + ITP reduced the reciprocity between sexual solicitation and sexualized interaction with adults, and reduced cyberbullying perpetration. The studies provided preliminary evidence of the benefits of the SA + ITP intervention.

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