Bully versus victim on the internet: The correlation with emotional-social characteristics

Cyberbullying is a repeated violent behavior aimed at hurting another person directed by an individual or a group towards the victim using technological means such as a computer or a mobile phone (Kowalski, Morgan, and Limber, 2012). The current study examined the phenomenon of cyberbullying among children and youth in Israel. The purpose of was to examine the correlation between bully and victim, and emotional-social aspects—social support, sense of loneliness and sense of self-efficacy—that constitute risk factors and protective factors. The study involved 1,094 elementary, middle school and high school students, who completed four questionnaires that addressed cyber-bullying and the social and emotional aspects: Social support, loneliness, self-efficacy and personal well-being. It was found that the less social support the students have, the lower their sense of self-efficacy; the lonelier they feel and the more they experience a lower sense of well-being, the greater the likelihood that they will participate in cyberbullying, mainly by sending offensive pictures or videos.