Ciberbullyinguso malintencionado de las tecnologías por los escolares de Educación Primaria

Abstract

Cyberbullying involves the harassment, intimidation, or bullying of an individual through digital devices and applications, and it can persist over an extended period. It is often marked by its anonymous nature, allowing it to occur from any location and at any time, even if the victim, the perpetrator, and the observer interact in the physical world. Cyberbullying, a growing social and personal issue, is becoming more prevalent due to the widespread use of technological devices by younger minors. Consequently, this study seeks to investigate the prevalence of cyberbullying among students in the second and third cycles of Primary Education in the Region of Murcia. Likewise, the general objectives are the following ones: (1) to assess the psychometric properties of the Ciberaula questionnaire; (2) to investigate the global profile of the cyberbully, considering factors such as gender, educational level, place of residence, nationality, and time spent online (study variables); (3) to outline the profile of cyberbullying victims based on the study variables; (4) to explore how Primary School students use various applications; and (5) to evaluate conflict situations involving the use of technological media from the perspective of Primary School students, considering the profiles of both cyber victims and cyberbullies in relation to the study variables; (6) Describe the extent of internet use by students from the perspectives of both cyber victims and cyberbullies, considering the study variables; (7) Determine the level of parental control exercised over students from the perspectives of both cyber victims and cyberbullies, taking into account the study variables; (8) Identify the level of internet safety among Primary Education students from the perspectives of both cyber victims and cyberbullies, bearing in mind the study variables; (9) Describe the socio-emotional skills of students from the perspectives of both cyber victims and cyberbullies, taking into consideration the study variables; (10) Analyze the degree of usefulness and suitability of the intervention program on cyberbullying from the perspectives of both families and students. The statistically representative sample consists of 1,852 students from the second and third cycles of Primary Education enrolled in 16 public educational centers in the Region of Murcia. It is important to consider that The CIBERAULA questionnaire has been designed and validated for data collection. On the one hand, a descriptive study was conducted for the analysis of the obtained data. Additionally, relationships between variables and contingency tables were established using Pearson's Chi-cuadrado test to confirm the presence of statistically significant associations. On the other hand, the results indicate that half of the participating students under the age of 12 have access to technological devices, social media profiles, and daily internet connectivity. Mobile phones and gaming consoles are the most commonly used devices for engaging in these cyberbullying activities, which are relatively recent, occurring within the past few months. Finally, a programme to address the identified gaps and tackle the issue of cyberbullying preventively is proposed. Therefore, the CIBERAULA program, previously mentioned, is introduced for use in educational institutions. It comprehensively addresses aspects related to personality, media, applications, technologies, and cyberbullying.