The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of research focused on analyzing the overlap and continuity of the roles in victims and aggressors of bullying and cyberbullying, as well as the exchange of roles in both harassment dynamics in adolescents. Searches in the main electronic databases for studies published in the last 20 years identified 19 studies that fulfilled inclusion criteria. The findings of the studies analyzed were not homogeneous, however, the main conclusion of all of them, to a greater or lesser extent, was that there is a component of continuity or superposition in the roles of both forms of bullying. Some studies also found an exchange of roles, especially in the case of victims and cybervictims who decide to reprimand their aggressors in an online context, becoming in cyberaggressors too. It is necessary to continue investigating the coexistence of bullying and cyberbullying and its exchange in certain contexts and people, as well as whether they are part of the same phenomenon with a certain continuity, or if cyberbullying is another expression of traditional bullying. Future intervention programs focusing on traditional school bullying could also evaluate their impact in situations of cyberbullying among peers.

El auge de las agresiones cibernéticas entre estudiantes de secundaria y la importancia de ciertas variables de ajuste psicosocial para la comprensión de este tipo de conducta violenta, tanto en agresores como en víctimas, plantean como objetivo en el presente trabajo analizar el perfil psicosocial de ambos implicados en situaciones de ciberagresión. Las variables de ajuste analizadas fueron autoconcepto, estrés percibido, soledad, sintomatología depresiva, ansiedad social, satisfacción con la vida e inteligencia emocional. A partir de una muestra de 1318 adolescentes (47% chicos), de entre 11 y 18 años, se establecieron tres grupos de contraste para cibervíctimas (víctimas severas, moderadas y no cibervíctimas) y tres grupos para ciberagresores (ciberagresores severos, moderados y no ciberagresores). El análisis de varianza mostró que los implicados presentan perfiles psicosociales diferentes y deteriorados. Las cibervíctimas severas mostraron mayor estrés percibido, soledad, depresión y ansiedad social, y menor autoconcepto, satisfacción con la vida e IE, en comparación con las no cibervíctimas. Los ciberagresores severos mostraron mayor estrés percibido, soledad y depresión, y menor autoconcepto y satisfacción con la vida, comparativamente con los no ciberagresores. Estos resultados permiten profundizar en la comprensión del ciberacoso entre estudiantes y mejorar los programas preventivos y de intervención en escuelas. The rise of cyberbullying among high school students and the importance of certain variables of psychological adjustment for the comprehension of this type of violent behavior both in bullies and in victims. This work aims to analyze the psychological profile of individuals involved in situations of cyberbullying, both victims and bullies. The adjustment variables analyzed were self-concept, perceived stress, loneliness, depressive symptomatology, social anxiety, life satisfaction, and emotional intelligence. Using a sample of 1318 adolescents (47% boys), aged between 11 and 18 years (M = 13.8, SD = 1.32), three contrast groups were established for cybervictims (severe cybervictims, moderate cybervictims, and non-cybervictims) and three groups for cyberbullies (severe cyberbullies, moderate cyberbullies, and non-cyberbullies). The results obtained through analysis of variance showed that both cybervictims and cyberbullies show deterioration in most of the studied dimensions, albeit with a different profile. Severe cybervictims showed higher scores in perceived stress, loneliness, depression, and social anxiety, and lower scores in self-concept, life satisfaction, and emotional intelligence, in comparison with non-cybervictims. Severe cyberbullies obtained higher scores in perceived stress, loneliness, and depression, and lower scores in self-concept and life satisfaction, compared to non-cyberbullies. These results allow deepening our comprehension of cyberbullying among students to improve preventive and intervention programs in schools.

Cybervictimization has been associated with serious emotional adjustment problems such as low self-concept and depressive symptomatology. In addition, these problems can negatively affect the well-being of the victims, manifesting in their levels of satisfaction with life. However, it should be noted that not all cybervictims develop these consequences with the same intensity. These differences seem to be related to the development of emotional intelligence (EI), as it can positively influence adolescents’ emotional adjustment and well-being even when problems arise. The objective of this work was to analyze the role of EI on cybervictimization and adolescents’ emotional adjustment, especially in self-concept, depression, and life satisfaction. The participants in the study were 1318 adolescents of both sexes and aged between 11 and 18 years (M = 13.8, SD = 1.32), from four secondary compulsory education centers in Spain. EI influences the relationship between self-concept and life satisfaction, and between depression and life satisfaction. In addition, the relationships of cybervictimization with self-concept and depression are influenced when introducing EI and its dimensions (emotional attention, clarity, regulation). These data support the idea that EI may affect the relationship between cybervictimization and adolescents’ emotional adjustment.

The objective of this study was to compare individual, family, and social variables, such as the perception of loneliness, family communication, and school adjustment in a sample of 2399 Andalusian (Spanish) adolescents aged 12 to 18 (M = 14.63, SD = 1.91) suffering from cybervictimization (low, moderate, and high). The results show that adolescents suffering from high cybervictimization report more loneliness, more problematic communication with both parents, and worse school adjustment than the rest of the groups. Regarding gender, differences are observed in open communication with the mother and in the dimensions of school adjustment, being more favorable for girls. However, there were no significant differences between girls and boys in the loneliness variable. The interaction effects indicate, on the one hand, that female severe cybervictims present more avoidant communication with the mother than the other groups, and, on the other hand, that male cybervictims of all three groups and female severe cybervictims have lower academic competence than the group of female low cybervictims, followed by female moderate cybervictims. These data support the idea that, depending on its intensity and duration, cybervictimization affects girls and boys differently in terms of individual, family, and social variables.

The intensive use of the Internet and communication technologies among adolescents has increased addiction and/or their problematic use. The innovative and revolutionary development of this technology can have negative effects on the mental and physical health of its users, and it seems to have a greater impact on adolescents. As this is causing a public health problem, the objective of this study was to review the different intervention and prevention programs for this problem in adolescents. A total of 14 programs met the inclusion criteria. The analysis of the programs allows for the identification of effective intervention designs for prevention, and also for the treatment of the current problems derived from the use of the Internet and technological devices among adolescent users.