Bullying has been recognized as a pervasive problematic behavior that results in potentially severe and long lasting consequences for young people. Bullying is an unwanted aggressive behavior that leads to intentional harm, is repetitive, and involves an observed or perceived power imbalance (Olweus, 1993). In recent years, a form of bullying known as cyberbullying has emerged through electronic technological devices. Cyberbullying is a new challenge which is moving beyond the confines of schoolyard and cafeterias. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying has unique characteristics including anonymity, free access to a time or place, and rapid dissemination through the technical device involved. These characteristics may increase both rates of victimization and perpetration. Empirical evidence has revealed that bullying is highly associated with negative internalizing consequences as well as externalizing consequences (Beran & Li, 2007). Recent bullying studies have demonstrated the significant associations of traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and psychological distress; yet, little research has been done to identify the influence of childhood bullying victimization on subsequent traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and psychological distress in young adulthood. Only few studies have found that childhood bullying experiences increased the likelihood of young adult traditional bullying, cyberbullying, and psychological problems (Rose & Tynes, 2015; Sourander et al., 2000; Sutton, 2014). The purpose of this study is to understand the relationships of traditional and cyberbullying from childhood through young adulthood, and subsequent psychological consequences among young adults. Additionally, childhood parent and peer factors that may mitigate these impacts are explored. To address the purpose of the current study, this study employed a random sampling method. The target population was junior and senior undergraduate students aged 19-25 and enrolled in one of two large public universities in Florida, who use electronic communication devices such as the Internet and mobile phone in daily life. An online survey method was used to collect responses. The data collection procedures yielded a final sample of 360 undergraduate students, which comprised the sample used for this study. An online survey method was used to collect responses. The major variables of interest for this study included childhood traditional and cyberbullying victimization as exogenous variables, childhood parent and peer factors as moderators, young adult traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration as endogenous variables, young adult psychological distress as endogenous variables, and other confounding variables. Descriptive analyses, independent sample t-test, path analyses, and multiple linear regression analyses were used to test the hypotheses. The findings indicated the prevalence of childhood traditional bullying victimization was higher than that of young adult traditional bullying victimization. The rate of childhood traditional bullying victimization was also higher than that of childhood cyberbullying victimization, while that of young adult traditional bullying victimization was slightly lower than that of young adult cyberbullying victimization. Meanwhile, women experienced more traditional and cyberbullying victimization in childhood and young adulthood than men, while men engaged in more traditional and cyberbullying perpetration than women. Further, childhood traditional and cyberbullying victimization increased the likelihood of being a victim and a perpetrator in young adulthood, with an exception of young adult cyberbullying perpetration. Childhood traditional bullying victimization increased the likelihood of young adult depression and anxiety, while childhood cyberbullying victimization increased the likelihood of young adult anxiety. The results for interaction effects of childhood parent and peer factors indicated that childhood parent attachment, parental monitoring, and peer attachment moderated the effects of childhood bullying victimization on young adult traditional bullying and cyberbullying victimization. Additionally, the results revealed childhood parent attachment buffered against a positive relationship between childhood traditional bullying victimization and depression, and childhood parental monitoring also buffered against a positive association between childhood traditional bullying victimization and anxiety. Further, childhood deviant peer association increased the positive relationship between childhood cyberbullying victimization and young adult traditional bullying victimization. The findings from this study have implications for social work practice. Understanding the contexts in which traditional bullying and cyberbullying occur is the first step in school- or community-based prevention and intervention efforts. It represents a first step towards a deeper understanding of the prevalence of childhood traditional and cyberbullying victimization and young adult traditional and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration, and their associations with psychological distress among young adults. Particularly, this study provided further evidence that investigating traditional and cyberbullying in childhood and young adulthood in a more dynamic way has merit. Social work practitioners should develop and implement effective bullying prevention and educational training programs to inform students, parents, and school administrators and teachers regarding the significance of early bullying experiences and their consequences, as well as to buffer against traditional and cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. / A Dissertation submitted to the College of Social Work in partial fulfillment of the Doctor of Philosophy. / Summer Semester 2017. / June 21, 2017. / Psychological distress, Traditional bullying and Cyberbullying, Victimization, Young adult / Includes bibliographical references. / Stephen J. Tripodi, Professor Directing Dissertation; Kevin M. Beaver, University Representative; Dina J. Wilke, Committee Member; Melissa Radey, Committee Member.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_552094 |
| Contributors | Lee, Jungup (authoraut), Tripodi, Stephen J. (professor directing dissertation), Beaver, Kevin M. (university representative), Wilke, Dina J. (committee member), Radey, Melissa (committee member), Florida State University (degree granting institution), College of Social Work (degree granting college), College of Social Work (degree granting departmentdgg) |
| Publisher | Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Language | English, English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text, text, doctoral thesis |
| Format | 1 online resource (186 pages), computer, application/pdf |
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