Citation

Pabian S, Vandebosch H. J. Youth Adolesc. 2015; 45(2): 328-339.

Affiliation

Department of Communication Studies, Research Group MIOS (Media, ICT, and Interpersonal Relations in Organisations and Society), University of Antwerp, Sint-Jacobstraat 2, 2000, Antwerp, Belgium, Sara.Pabian@uantwerpen.be.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2015, Holtzbrinck Springer Nature Publishing Group)

DOI

10.1007/s10964-015-0259-3

PMID

25687265

Abstract

Previous research has suggested that social anxiety is associated with victimization and perpetration of (cyber)bullying. The direction and causality of this relationship has not yet been empirically supported for both traditional and cyberbullying involvement. This study examined short-term longitudinal associations between feelings of social anxiety and involvement in traditional bullying and cyberbullying among 2128 adolescents aged 10-17 (56.6 % girls). A cross-lagged panel analysis provided evidence for the contribution of social anxiety to later victimization of bullying, both on- and off-line. The possibility of a reciprocal relationship was also examined, although it was not supported. Furthermore, longitudinal bidirectional relationships between social anxiety and the perpetration of bullying were investigated. Only one significant longitudinal association was found: the perpetration of traditional bullying predicted subsequent higher levels of social anxiety. The implications of these findings are discussed.

Language: en