The dynamics of the relationship between just-for-fun online harassment and perceived school safety

Abstract

[EN] Based on previous analysis needs, our expert team has implemented the project Keeping youth safe from Cyberbullying financed by Erasmus+ KA2, focusing on the in-depth dynamics analysis of the cyberbullying phenomenon that unfortunately has become more and more present in youth online environments. Our team has designed an online questionnaire with the purpose of collecting descriptive data about youth participants, general perception about the cyberbullying particularity incidents, perceived safety of the educational setting and perceived parental support, and lastly a selfrating evaluation scale on self-efficacy perceptions. A total of 92 participants voluntarily responded to. Present research’s focus is the analysis of the association between just-for-fun online harassment type of cyberbullying and youth perceived school safety. Our team has used a curvilinear regression analysis for depicting curvilinear effects, in order to test the hypothesis assuming the curvilinear relationship between youth perceived school safety and just-for-fun online harassment type of cyberbullying. Results confirm the curvilinear relationship, implying the fact that the weaker and as well as the stronger educational context safety is perceived, just-for-fun online harassment type of cyberbullying is present in school; a medium/normal school safety perception triggers a lower just-for-fun online harassment type of cyberbullying incidence in youth. Authors further discuss the implications of these findings, in terms of cyberbullying prevention strategies.