Bullying and cyberbullying: Convergent and divergent predictor variables

There is certain controversy on whether cyber-bullying is a category of bullying as it appears in a very different scenario away from the schools. The objective of this research has been to know if the variables that predict the involvement of youngsters in traditional bullying are also predictor of the appearance of cyber-bullying. Accordingly, we have looked for the similarities and the differences existing in the involvement on these phenomena. The sample is composed by secondary school pupils (n = 893, 45.9% girls; age x¯=13.80, SD = 1.47). The results show that there are multiple relations between the predictor variables of school bullying and the specific variables of virtual environments that predict cyber-bullying. It has been obtained a new model that explains both phenomena which could be a strong evidence to base future interventions to prevent and reduce these problems.

• School climate and empathy are two relevant predictors of bullying.
• Internet addiction predicts the cyberbullying aggression.
• The lack of control about the personal information online predicts cyberbullying victimization.
• Risk factors associated with bullying also predict cyberbullying.