IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v19y2022i15p9763-d883073.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Problematic Social Media Use and Cyber Aggression in Italian Adolescents: The Remarkable Role of Social Support

Author

Listed:
  • Alberto Borraccino

    (Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy)

  • Noemi Marengo

    (Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy)

  • Paola Dalmasso

    (Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy)

  • Claudia Marino

    (Department of Developmental and Social Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy)

  • Silvia Ciardullo

    (National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Paola Nardone

    (National Centre for Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Italian National Institute of Health, 00161 Rome, Italy)

  • Patrizia Lemma

    (Department of Public Health and Paediatrics, University of Torino, 10126 Torino, Italy)

  • The 2018 HBSC-Italia Group

    (The Members of the 2018 HBSC-Italia Group are listed in the Acknowledgments.)

Abstract

The recent increase in electronic and social media use among young people has highlighted the importance of focusing on problematic social media use (PSMU) and the concurrent phenomenon of cyber aggression, as well as the role of social support. As part of the 2018 Health Behavior in School-aged Children study in Italy, this study aims to explore the role of family, peer, and teacher support in the association between cyberbullying and PSMU. Methods: Data were collected from 4183 school classes in Italy for a total of 58,976 adolescents aged 11, 13, and 15 years. The prevalence of cyber aggression (both cybervictimization and perpetration) and PSMU was estimated across subgroups of different age, gender, and geographical residence. A set of multivariable logistic regressions was then used to investigate the association between cyberbullying and PSMU, considering the effect of social support. Results: Cybervictimization was more frequent among girls than in boys. PSMU was higher in 11-year-old boys and 13-year-old girls; 8.3% and 12.7%, respectively. Social support was highest in 11-year-olds, for both sexes, and then decreased with increasing age. The risk of cyberbullying, both suffered and perpetrated, was higher in girls and in the presence of PSMU. Social support showed to be highly protective against PSMU and cyberbullying in all ages and both genders. Conclusion: Although cyber aggression is less represented in Italy than in other European countries, it is likely to increase. PSMU appears to be an important contributor to the risk of cyber aggression; however, social support has been shown to be capable of reducing the risk of both phenomena. Public health policies fostering familiar and school support can help protect adolescents’ mental health, reducing the risk of problematic media use and cyberbullying.

Suggested Citation

  • Alberto Borraccino & Noemi Marengo & Paola Dalmasso & Claudia Marino & Silvia Ciardullo & Paola Nardone & Patrizia Lemma & The 2018 HBSC-Italia Group, 2022. "Problematic Social Media Use and Cyber Aggression in Italian Adolescents: The Remarkable Role of Social Support," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9763-:d:883073
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9763/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/19/15/9763/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Claire van Duin & Andreas Heinz & Helmut Willems, 2021. "Predictors of Problematic Social Media Use in a Nationally Representative Sample of Adolescents in Luxembourg," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(22), pages 1-15, November.
    2. Alberto Borraccino & Paola Berchialla & Paola Dalmasso & Veronica Sciannameo & Alessio Vieno & Giacomo Lazzeri & Lorena Charrier & Patrizia Lemma, 2020. "Connectedness as a protective factor in immigrant youth: results from the Health Behaviours in School-aged Children (HBSC) Italian study," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 65(3), pages 303-312, April.
    3. Rosario Del Rey & Rosario Ortega-Ruiz & José Antonio Casas, 2019. "Asegúrate: An Intervention Program against Cyberbullying Based on Teachers’ Commitment and on Design of Its Instructional Materials," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(3), pages 1-14, February.
    4. William Boyce & Torbjorn Torsheim & Candace Currie & Alessio Zambon, 2006. "The Family Affluence Scale as a Measure of National Wealth: Validation of an Adolescent Self-Report Measure," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 78(3), pages 473-487, September.
    5. Torbjørn Torsheim & Franco Cavallo & Kate Ann Levin & Christina Schnohr & Joanna Mazur & Birgit Niclasen & Candace Currie, 2016. "Psychometric Validation of the Revised Family Affluence Scale: a Latent Variable Approach," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(3), pages 771-784, September.
    6. Jane E. K. Hartley & Kate Levin & Candace Currie, 2016. "A new version of the HBSC Family Affluence Scale - FAS III: Scottish Qualitative Findings from the International FAS Development Study," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(1), pages 233-245, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Vladimir Hobza & Zdenek Hamrik & Jens Bucksch & Bart De Clercq, 2017. "The Family Affluence Scale as an Indicator for Socioeconomic Status: Validation on Regional Income Differences in the Czech Republic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Bašić, Zvonimir & Bortolotti, Stefania & Salicath, Daniel & Schmidt, Stefan & Schneider, Sebastian O. & Sutter, Matthias, 2024. "One Size Fits All? The Interplay of Incentives, Effort Provision, and Personality," IZA Discussion Papers 17287, Institute of Labor Economics (IZA).
    3. Anne-Kathrin M. Loer & Olga M. Domanska & Christiane Stock & Susanne Jordan, 2022. "Correction: Loer et al. Subjective Generic Health Literacy and Its Associated Factors among Adolescents: Results of a Population-Based Online Survey in Germany. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 202," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(3), pages 1-3, February.
    4. Hansen, Kerstin F. & Stutzer, Alois, 2022. "Parental unemployment, social insurance and child well-being across countries," Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, Elsevier, vol. 204(C), pages 600-617.
    5. Stefan Kühner & Maggie Lau & Evelyn Aboagye Addae, 2021. "The Mediating Role of Social Capital in the Relationship Between Hong Kong Children’s Socioeconomic Status and Subjective Well-Being," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 14(5), pages 1881-1909, October.
    6. Dagmar Sigmundová & Erik Sigmund & Riki Tesler & Kwok W. Ng & Zdenek Hamrik & Frida Kathrine Sofie Mathisen & Jo Inchley & Jens Bucksch, 2019. "Vigorous physical activity in relation to family affluence: time trends in Europe and North America," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 64(7), pages 1049-1058, September.
    7. Dominic Weinberg & Gonneke W. J. M. Stevens & Elisa L. Duinhof & Catrin Finkenauer, 2019. "Adolescent Socioeconomic Status and Mental Health Inequalities in the Netherlands, 2001–2017," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 16(19), pages 1-18, September.
    8. Apolinaras Zaborskis & Monika Grincaite & Michela Lenzi & Riki Tesler & Concepción Moreno-Maldonado & Joanna Mazur, 2019. "Social Inequality in Adolescent Life Satisfaction: Comparison of Measure Approaches and Correlation with Macro-level Indices in 41 Countries," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 141(3), pages 1055-1079, February.
    9. Palma Chillón & Patricia Gálvez-Fernández & Francisco Javier Huertas-Delgado & Manuel Herrador-Colmenero & Yaira Barranco-Ruiz & Emilio Villa-González & María Jesús Aranda-Balboa & Romina Gisele Sauce, 2021. "A School-Based Randomized Controlled Trial to Promote Cycling to School in Adolescents: The PACO Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(4), pages 1-20, February.
    10. Anne-Kathrin M. Loer & Olga M. Domanska & Christiane Stock & Susanne Jordan, 2020. "Subjective Generic Health Literacy and Its Associated Factors among Adolescents: Results of a Population-Based Online Survey in Germany," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(22), pages 1-23, November.
    11. Dorota Kleszczewska & Joanna Mazur & Katarzyna Porwit & Anna Kowalewska, 2022. "Who Is Able to Resist What Is Forbidden?—The Relationship between Health Literacy and Risk Behaviours in Secondary School Students in the Broader Social and Educational Context," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-16, July.
    12. Gross-Manos, Daphna, 2017. "Material well-being and social exclusion association with children's subjective Well-being: Cross-national analysis of 14 countries," Children and Youth Services Review, Elsevier, vol. 80(C), pages 116-128.
    13. Schmengler, Heiko & Peeters, Margot & Stevens, Gonneke W.J.M. & Kunst, Anton E. & Delaruelle, Katrijn & Dierckens, Maxim & Charrier, Lorena & Weinberg, Dom & Oldehinkel, Albertine J. & Vollebergh, Wil, 2022. "Socioeconomic inequalities in adolescent health behaviours across 32 different countries – The role of country-level social mobility," Social Science & Medicine, Elsevier, vol. 310(C).
    14. Valentin Benzing & Patrice Gaillard & David Scheidegger & Alain Dössegger & Claudio R. Nigg & Mirko Schmidt, 2022. "COVID-19: Physical Activity and Quality of Life in a Sample of Swiss School Children during and after the First Stay-at-Home," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(4), pages 1-13, February.
    15. Mia Hakovirta & Johanna Kallio, 2016. "Children’s Perceptions of Poverty," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 9(2), pages 317-334, June.
    16. Jaroslava Kopcakova & Zuzana Dankulincova Veselska & Andrea Madarasova Geckova & Daniel Klein & Jitse P. Dijk & Sijmen A. Reijneveld, 2018. "Are school factors and urbanization supportive for being physically active and engaging in less screen-based activities?," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 63(3), pages 359-366, April.
    17. Róbert Ochaba & Tibor Baška & Martina Bašková, 2021. "Alcohol Use and Its Affordability in Adolescents in Slovakia between 2010 and 2018: Girls Are Less Adherent to Policy Measures," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(10), pages 1-10, May.
    18. Yekaterina Chzhen & Jennifer Symonds & Dympna Devine & Júlia Mikolai & Susan Harkness & Seaneen Sloan & Gabriela Martinez Sainz, 2022. "Learning in a Pandemic: Primary School children’s Emotional Engagement with Remote Schooling during the spring 2020 Covid-19 Lockdown in Ireland," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 15(4), pages 1517-1538, August.
    19. Heidi Carlerby & Eija Viitasara & Anders Knutsson & Katja Gillander Gådin, 2011. "Subjective health complaints among boys and girls in the Swedish HBSC study: focussing on parental foreign background," International Journal of Public Health, Springer;Swiss School of Public Health (SSPH+), vol. 56(5), pages 457-464, October.
    20. Brock Boudreau & Christiane Poulin, 2009. "An examination of the validity of the Family Affluence Scale II (FAS II) in a general adolescent population of Canada," Social Indicators Research: An International and Interdisciplinary Journal for Quality-of-Life Measurement, Springer, vol. 94(1), pages 29-42, October.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:15:p:9763-:d:883073. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.