Abstract
The present study investigated characteristics of adolescents’ cyberbullying, and examined whether parental controls are associated with youth’s Internet-related behavior. Students (N=487) at 5 middle schools completed a survey in which they reported their daily frequency of Internet use via personal computers and cellular phones, their involvement in cyberbullying, and their perception of parental controls, and answered questions about 2 types of aggression (relational and overt). The results indicated that 67% of regular Internet users reported that they were not involved in cyberbullying ; 8%, that they were bullies; 7%, that they were victims, and 18%, that they were both bullies and victims. Those who were bullies and/or victims showed higher levels of relational aggression and overt aggression, and longer use of the Internet than non-involved students. Although perceived parental controls did not directly predict cyberbullying, parental regulation was an indirect predictor of the students’ Internet use, and both parental knowledge and free access were direct predictors of Internet use. Both Internet use and relational aggression were found to be director predictors of cyberbullying and being cyberbullied.
