Citation

Buelga S, Postigo J, Martínez-Ferrer B, Cava MJ, Ortega-Barón J. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2020; 17(9): e3090.

Affiliation

Faculty of Education, International University of la Rioja (UNIR), Avenida de la Paz, 137, 26006 Logroño, Spain.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2020, MDPI: Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute)

DOI

10.3390/ijerph17093090

PMID

32365502

Abstract

The present study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the revised version of the Adolescent Cyber-Aggressor scale (CYB-AGS). This scale is composed of 18 items that measure direct and indirect cyberbullying. A cross-sectional study was conducted using two independent samples of adolescents. The first sample included 1318 adolescents (52.6% girls) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 13.89, SD = 1.32). The second sample included 1188 adolescents (48.5% boys) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 14.19, SD = 1.80). First, to study the psychometric properties of the CYB-AGS, exploratory factor analysis was performed on Sample 1.

RESULTS indicated a two-factor structure: direct cyber-aggression and indirect cyber-aggression. Second, to verify the structure of the CYB-AGS, we selected Sample 2 to conduct confirmatory factor analysis and test the scale's convergent validity with theoretically-related measures.

RESULTS confirmed the reliability and validity of the two-dimensional model. Moreover, measurement invariance was established. Finally, regarding convergent validity, positive correlations were obtained between cyberbullying and aggressive behaviors in school, anger expression, negative attitudes towards school, and transgression of norms. Furthermore, negative correlations were found between cyberbullying and attitudes towards institutional authority.

Language: en

Keywords

adolescence; cyber-aggression; reliability; scale development; validity