Despite existing research on the factors associated with problematic social media use (PSMU), cyberbullying (CB), and cybervictimization (CV) among youth, few studies have explored the relationships between these variables. Rooted in the Maladaptive Coping Theory, this study investigates the complex dynamics of digital behaviors among Italian preadolescents, exploring the interplay between PSMU, moral disengagement, retaliation, and their connections with cyberbullying and cybervictimization. A total of 489 participants (M_age = 11.90, SD = 0.783; 50.3% female) from schools in southern Italy completed an online self-report questionnaire. Descriptive analyses were conducted and correlations between variables were computed. Mediation and moderation analyses were performed using PROCESS in SPSS 27.0. The results of the study indicated that PSMU positively predicted both CB and CV. Moral disengagement (MD) was identified as a mediator in this association, elucidating the role of justifications and cognitive restructuring in facilitating negative online behaviors. Most notably, retaliation emerged as a moderator that amplified the effects of PSMU on cyberbullying and cybervictimization. These findings underscore the pivotal role of PSMU in shaping digital landscapes for preadolescents and highlight the need for tailored interventions. In addition, they highlight MD as a maladaptive coping strategy in the online realm, revealing its instrumental role in perpetuating negative online behaviors. This study’s insights suggest the need for interventions to address the complexity of young people’s online interactions and promote a safer digital environment.

The spread of information and communication technologies (ICTs) has brought advantages and disadvantages, particularly impacting youth, who use the Internet and social media applications daily. In preadolescents’ social development, problematic social media use (PSMU) and cyberbullying (CB) are potential risk factors across several countries. PSMU is defined as the lack of regulation of social media platforms that is associated with negative outcomes in everyday life, while CB refers to using digital technology to harass, threaten, or embarrass another person. Among preadolescents, CB perpetration is frequently associated with cybervictimization (CV) experiences. The underlying mechanisms that drive this relationship have received limited attention. The aim of the cross-national comparative study, rooted in the general aggression model, is to investigate the direct and indirect effects between cyberbullying perpetration and cybervictimization, testing a model involving PSMU and moral disengagement (MD) as serial mediators in this association. A total of 895 Italian and Spanish preadolescents (M_age = 11.23, SD_age = 1.064) completed a self-report survey during school hours. Descriptive statistics were computed, and a serial mediation model was run. The results show that CV is positively associated with CB, and that PSMU and MD positively serially mediate the CV–CB link. This study’s insights suggest the need for tailored educational interventions targeting European youth, to promote more positive online social interactions and a safer digital environment.

The spread of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) brought advantages and disadvantages, particularly impacting youth, daily involved in using Internet and social media applications. In preadolescents’ social development, problematic social media use (PSMU) and cyberbullying (CB) are potential risk factors across several countries. PSMU is defined as the lack of regulation of social media platforms’ use associated with negative outcomes in everyday life, while CB refers to using digital technology to harass, threaten, or embarass another person. Among preadolescents, CB perpetration is frequently associated with cybervictimization (CV) experiences. The underlying mechanisms that drive this relationship have received limited attention. The aim of the cross-national comparative study, rooted in the General Aggression Model, is to investigate the direct and indirect effects between cyberbullying perpetration and cybervictimization, testing a model involving PSMU and moral disengagement (MD) as serial mediators in this association. 895 Italian and Spanish preadolescents (M_age = 11.23, SD = 1.064) completed a self-report survey during school hours. Descriptive statistics were computed, and a serial mediation model was run. The results show that CV is positively associated to CB, and that PSMU and MD positively serially mediate the CV-CB link. This study’s insights suggest the need for tailored educational interventions targeting European youth, to promote more positive online social interactions and a safer digital environment.

Background: Public Speaking Anxiety (PSA) is a form of social anxiety spread among university students, negatively affecting both academic performance and overall psychological well-being. Virtual Reality (VR)–based interventions combined with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) represent a promising approach for treating PSA, as they enable gradual and controlled exposure to feared social situations by simulating realistic audiences and environments. The primary aim of this study is to evaluate whether the use of VR as a support to standard psychotherapy is effective in managing anxiety and PSA in university students who access the University Psychological Counseling Service (UPCS). Methods: This article outlines the study protocol for a randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants will be divided into two groups: (1) a control group receiving psychological counseling, and (2) an experimental group that receives psychological counseling integrated with VR interventions based on 360° video scenarios. The intervention will include two VR-based modules: a VR–Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) module, designed to provide graded immersive exposure to anxiety-provoking scenarios, and a VR–Acceptance and Commitment Training (ACT) module, aimed at enhancing mindfulness and psychological flexibility through guided experiential practice. Psychological and physiological data collected during the sessions will be analyzed to compare the effectiveness of VR-integrated psychotherapy with traditional counseling alone. Discussion: This study will introduce a novel VR-based ERP and ACT training protocol designed to reduce public speaking anxiety in university students by integrating innovative, immersive VR scenarios within a psychological counseling context. The proposed approach may be particularly relevant for university settings, as it offers a scalable, standardized, and controllable VR-supported counseling protocol aimed at reducing PSA, enhancing students’ academic functioning (e.g., oral exams and presentations), and strengthening the overall effectiveness of university psychological counseling services. Trial registration: This protocol was registered at the Clinical Trials.gov (Identifier: NCT07351409) on January 16, 2026.

Over 60% of armed conflicts re‐occur, highlighting the need to break cycles of violence. Challenging traditional views of youth as perpetrators or victims, we study their active peacebuilding in two post‐conflict contexts: Northern Ireland and Colombia. Grounded in the theory of altruism born of suffering (ABS) and the Developmental Peacebuilding Model (DPM), we examined how historic, conflict‐related suffering predicts youth peacebuilding at the microsystem level (prosocial behaviour) and mesosystem level (conflict‐specific civic engagement). We further investigated whether these associations were moderated by empathy, critical reflection and age. We sampled adolescents and young adults in Northern Ireland ( N = 186, M _age = 16.76, SD = 4.60) and Colombia ( N = 283, M _age = 18.13, SD = 3.23) in a longitudinal survey across two time points. The contexts differ in post‐conflict timelines (one generation versus half a generation since a peace agreement) and conflict adversaries (ethno‐religious versus political groups). Historic suffering predicted youth peacebuilding at the mesosystem level. Older age strengthened the association between historic suffering and mesosystem peacebuilding in both countries, while critical reflection moderated this association only in Northern Ireland. These findings suggest that suffering may motivate youth to engage in broader civic processes rather than in direct outgroup‐specific prosocial behaviour.