In just a few years, technological changes have transformed how people interact and communicate w... more In just a few years, technological changes have transformed how people interact and communicate with each other, in particular among so-called digital adolescents. The impact of technology on routine activities and mainstream culture has led to an increase in young peoples’ exposure to psychological and criminological risks. As a result of this new psychosocial trend, new educational challenges are appearing and it is becoming more necessary to react to these challenges on the basis of an adequate diagnosis of psychology and pedagogy relating to adolescents. Criminological theories and research have tried to identify risk and protection factors to understand victimisation processes in more depth and improve prevention strategies. In this context, it is necessary to develop educational programs that consider personal, familial, and situational vulnerabilities and weaknesses in order to foster resilient individuals who can successfully confront the risks inherent to cyberspace. By ana...
El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de una escala breve para ev... more El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de una escala breve para evaluar conductas de riesgo en internet. El estudio se desarrolló en dos fases en las que participaron 595 jóvenes residentes en Chile (263 estudiantes universitarios de 18 a 19 años y 332 estudiantes de secundaria de 15 a 19 años). Los participantes respondieron la escala de conductas de riesgo en internet y varias preguntas referidas a sus hábitos y experiencias en la red. Los resultados de análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios mostraron que la escala se compone de dos factores: «contacto temerario con desconocidos» (donde el riesgo estaría determinado por la vinculación imprudente con potenciales agresores online) y «riesgo indirecto» (que considera conductas esperables para la edad, pero riesgosas, ya que sitúan al joven en el contexto virtual donde los agresores online suelen captar a sus víctimas). Los resultados apoyaron la validez de la escala, puesto que ambos factor...
Background and aims Despite its illegality among adolescents, online gambling is a common practic... more Background and aims Despite its illegality among adolescents, online gambling is a common practice, which puts their mental health and well-being at serious risk. This systematic review summarises international scientific literature from the last 20 years on problematic online gambling among adolescents (11–21 years old) to determine its prevalence and to analyse related measurement issues. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed and a protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, IC: CRD42020162932). Five academic databases were consulted, which resulted in an initial sample of 658 papers. Results Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. All studies were cross-sectional and targeted students from elementary school, secondary school or university. Most followed a convenience sampling procedure. The primary measurement instruments used were ...
El auge de Internet ha traido nuevas formas de victimizacion infantojuvenil, entre las que destac... more El auge de Internet ha traido nuevas formas de victimizacion infantojuvenil, entre las que destaca el abuso sexual online. El estudio de esta forma de victimizacion es cada vez mas frecuente a nivel mundial, pero existe escasez de instrumentos breves, en lengua espanola, que ademas ofrezcan buenas propiedades psicometricas. El objetivo del estudio fue examinar la estructura e invarianza factorial intercultural de una escala breve de abuso sexual online. Participaron 1.502 adolescentes de Espana y Chile de entre 15 y 17 anos. Los resultados de los analisis factoriales exploratorios con una proporcion de la muestra espanola (n= 698) sugieren que la escala de 12 items posee un unico factor y adecuada consistencia interna. Los analisis factoriales confirmatorios con una segunda proporcion de la muestra espanola (n= 402) y con la muestra chilena (n= 402) corroboran la estructura unifactorial en ambos paises. Los analisis apoyan la invarianza factorial configuracional, pero se desecha la ...
There is currently no evidence of the relationship between cyber dating abuse (CDA) and health-re... more There is currently no evidence of the relationship between cyber dating abuse (CDA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially from a longitudinal perspective. The objectives were: a) to analyze the point and period prevalence, incidence, and score changes over time of victimization by CDA; b) to compare HRQoL in the different categories of victims of CDA (nonvictims, new, ceased, intermittent, and stable victims). A three-wave longitudinal study was carried out over 13 months. The final sample was composed of adolescents who had a partner in the 6 months before the measurements: 341(W1), 357(W2), and 416(W3). The prevalence of CDA was 31.1% (W1), 32.8% (W2), and 18.1% (W3). The girls had higher prevalence in victimization by control than the boys in all waves. The period prevalence was 23% (20% for control, 15% for direct aggression) and the cumulative incidence was 15%. Stable victims had the lowest HRQoL scores.
For the Z-Generation, the Internet has become a very important experimentation laboratory for the... more For the Z-Generation, the Internet has become a very important experimentation laboratory for the discovery and validation of their identity. Despite the importance of the process of building the self in the adolescent, there are hardly any validated instruments that measure the self online. The aim of this research was to design and validate the Brief Self Online Scale (SO-8). A total of 843 students (384 boys, 45.6%), with an age range of 10 to 14 years participated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the hypothesized model of two correlated factors (Online Self-Perception and Online Idealized Projection), previously obtained through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The reliability coefficients of Self Online dimensions were adequate. Indicators of convergent validity were obtained, finding significant correlations with self-concept, problematic Internet use, and online emotional intelligence. The SO-8 has adequate psychometric properties to be considered a reliable an...
El objetivo de este estudio ha sido identificar las creencias erróneas sostenidas por los adolesc... more El objetivo de este estudio ha sido identificar las creencias erróneas sostenidas por los adolescentes sobre el fenómeno del Ciberacoso Sexual Juvenil a partir de la realización de 5 grupos de discusión con un total de 37 estudiantes valencianos de Secundaria y Bachiller entre 14 y 18 años. El análisis interpretativo de los datos revela que los estudiantes entienden el fenómeno como una dinámica interaccional con varias fases mediante las que un adulto fácilmente identificable (“mito del viejo verde”) emplea estrategias predominantemente agresivas pretende obtener beneficios de tipo sexual contactándoles a través de Internet. Los participantes reconocen que es una situación habitual pero evitable si se detectan ciertas señales de alarma (“mito de la detectabilidad” y “falacia de control”) que derivan únicamente de su sentido común (“mito de la invencibilidad”), por lo que consideran a las víctimas responsables de su situación y atribuyen su silencio al “miedo razonable”, a la reprob...
The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetrati... more The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetration between a sample of gifted students and a sample of nongifted students, and their relationship in both groups with depression, stress, anxiety, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A cross-sectional design was performed with two comparison groups: 449 Spanish adolescents identified as gifted ( Mage = 11.72, S D = 1.89) and 950 nongifted Spanish students ( Mage = 12.72, SD=0.79). Results reveal that 41.1%, 1.1%, and 9.5% of the gifted sample were pure-victims, pure-bullies, and bully-victims, respectively, compared to 21.8%, 2.4%, and 5.8% of the nongifted students. It is observed that gifted students are more likely to be victims (OR = 3.20[2.40, 4.28]). Gifted pure-victims have significantly higher stress scores than nongifted pure-victims ( p < .001). In general, pure-victims and bully-victims of gifted and nongifted students both have higher stress, anxiety, and depressio...
Recent research on sexting suggests it could be related to mental health, but so far studies have... more Recent research on sexting suggests it could be related to mental health, but so far studies have often used simple and not clinically validated measures of mental health. Specific aims of this study were: 1) to analyze the lifetime prevalence of sexting behaviors among a Spanish College Sample by gender, and 2) to examine the psychopathological profile of those students who engaged in sexting. Method: The sample consisted of 120 Spanish college students (75% female, 22.1 mean age) who took part in an online survey about their engagement in sexting behaviors and psychopathological symptomatology, measured by LSB-50. Results: Out of the sample, 42% of participants engaged in active sexting behaviors, 58% in passive sexting, and 31% of participants had both received content and sent content. Furthermore, 41.1% of the sample showed depressive symptoms, whilst 52.7% reported anxiety symptoms, and sexters were 2.98 times more likely to be depressed, 2.52 times more likely to have anxiety...
A large number of children sexually abused never reveal their victimization. In some of the cases... more A large number of children sexually abused never reveal their victimization. In some of the cases that do it, the latency of the disclosure is of years or even decades. Although there are many studies on the factors that influence the revelation of Child Sex Abuse (CSA), in Spain there are no recent publications that encompass and synthesize the currently available scientific evidence about the factors related to the different figures of the victim, the perpetrator and the relationship between them. In this work we revised several studies and meta-studies about the reasons that lead the victims to keep the abuse secret. To the difficulties that generally children present to reveal a secret, especially when that involves some adult or it is related to sexual aspects, some other issues are added, such as the developmental stage and the gender of the child, their perception of responsibility and guilt during the abuse, the fear of the real or imaginary consequences. The abuser’s situa...
Abstract In recent years, the video game industry has introduced the possibility of buying virtua... more Abstract In recent years, the video game industry has introduced the possibility of buying virtual random goods (e.g., loot boxes) in electronic games using money through microtransactions, which are becoming more widespread and potentially akin to gambling. Although previous research has linked loot boxes with problematic gaming and gambling behaviors, there are very few studies that relate them to the clinical indicators of these problems. The overall goal of this study is to ascertain the prevalence of loot box purchasing behavior and its association with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Online Gambling Disorder (OGD). A secondary objective is to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of the Problematic Use of Loot Boxes Questionnaire (PU-LB). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 6633 participants (4236 males, 63.9%, and 4123 minors, 62.2%) with an average age of 16.73 ± 3.40 in a range of 11–30 years. The Spanish versions of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF) and the Online Gambling Disorder Questionnaire (OGD-Q) were used. A total of 2013 (30.4%) participants reported purchasing a loot box in the last 12 months (28.9% among minors). A person who had purchased a loot box in the last 12 months had a prevalence rate (PR) of 3.66 [95% CI 2.66, 5.05] of presenting an IGD, and a PR = 4.85 [IC 95% 2.58, 9.12] of presenting an OGD. The PU-LB exhibited adequate reliability and validity indicators and was positively and significantly related to loot box expenditure, IGDS9-SF, and OGD-Q scores. The results are further discussed, and practical implications and future lines of research proposed.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2021
The Internet has brought about a paradigm shift in the lives of many people, especially adolescen... more The Internet has brought about a paradigm shift in the lives of many people, especially adolescents. While it has opened great possibilities, it has also led to various risks such as cyberbullying and problematic Internet use (PIU). These two constructs have been extensively researched individually and jointly, but the existence of different profiles of problematic use according to the role a person assumes in the context of cyberbullying has not yet been explored. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to analyze the different PIU profiles of those who have been cybervictims, cyberbullies, and cyberbully victims. An analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 25,341 adolescents between 10 and 18 years of age (14.60 ± 1.68). The Cyberbullying Triangulation Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Spanish version of the Generalized and Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS2) were used. The results indicate that cybervictims (6.4 percent), cyberbullies (4.3 percent), and cyberbully victims (2.7 percent) have different profiles of PIU (p < 0.001). Two common profiles emerge from the three roles: one of nonproblematic use and the other of severe problematic use. Participants who presented severe problematic use are the ones who obtained higher scores in cybervictimization and cyberaggression, particularly in the case of cyberbully victims. Furthermore, this profile is 7.6 (IC99 percent:6.11-9.44) times more likely to present PIU than noninvolved adolescents. These results are relevant when planning cyberbullying-focused interventions and programs because of the association between cyberbullying and general PIU.
In just a few years, technological changes have transformed how people interact and communicate w... more In just a few years, technological changes have transformed how people interact and communicate with each other, in particular among so-called digital adolescents. The impact of technology on routine activities and mainstream culture has led to an increase in young peoples’ exposure to psychological and criminological risks. As a result of this new psychosocial trend, new educational challenges are appearing and it is becoming more necessary to react to these challenges on the basis of an adequate diagnosis of psychology and pedagogy relating to adolescents. Criminological theories and research have tried to identify risk and protection factors to understand victimisation processes in more depth and improve prevention strategies. In this context, it is necessary to develop educational programs that consider personal, familial, and situational vulnerabilities and weaknesses in order to foster resilient individuals who can successfully confront the risks inherent to cyberspace. By ana...
El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de una escala breve para ev... more El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar las propiedades psicométricas de una escala breve para evaluar conductas de riesgo en internet. El estudio se desarrolló en dos fases en las que participaron 595 jóvenes residentes en Chile (263 estudiantes universitarios de 18 a 19 años y 332 estudiantes de secundaria de 15 a 19 años). Los participantes respondieron la escala de conductas de riesgo en internet y varias preguntas referidas a sus hábitos y experiencias en la red. Los resultados de análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios mostraron que la escala se compone de dos factores: «contacto temerario con desconocidos» (donde el riesgo estaría determinado por la vinculación imprudente con potenciales agresores online) y «riesgo indirecto» (que considera conductas esperables para la edad, pero riesgosas, ya que sitúan al joven en el contexto virtual donde los agresores online suelen captar a sus víctimas). Los resultados apoyaron la validez de la escala, puesto que ambos factor...
Background and aims Despite its illegality among adolescents, online gambling is a common practic... more Background and aims Despite its illegality among adolescents, online gambling is a common practice, which puts their mental health and well-being at serious risk. This systematic review summarises international scientific literature from the last 20 years on problematic online gambling among adolescents (11–21 years old) to determine its prevalence and to analyse related measurement issues. Methods The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines were followed and a protocol was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO, IC: CRD42020162932). Five academic databases were consulted, which resulted in an initial sample of 658 papers. Results Sixteen studies met the inclusion criteria for this review. All studies were cross-sectional and targeted students from elementary school, secondary school or university. Most followed a convenience sampling procedure. The primary measurement instruments used were ...
El auge de Internet ha traido nuevas formas de victimizacion infantojuvenil, entre las que destac... more El auge de Internet ha traido nuevas formas de victimizacion infantojuvenil, entre las que destaca el abuso sexual online. El estudio de esta forma de victimizacion es cada vez mas frecuente a nivel mundial, pero existe escasez de instrumentos breves, en lengua espanola, que ademas ofrezcan buenas propiedades psicometricas. El objetivo del estudio fue examinar la estructura e invarianza factorial intercultural de una escala breve de abuso sexual online. Participaron 1.502 adolescentes de Espana y Chile de entre 15 y 17 anos. Los resultados de los analisis factoriales exploratorios con una proporcion de la muestra espanola (n= 698) sugieren que la escala de 12 items posee un unico factor y adecuada consistencia interna. Los analisis factoriales confirmatorios con una segunda proporcion de la muestra espanola (n= 402) y con la muestra chilena (n= 402) corroboran la estructura unifactorial en ambos paises. Los analisis apoyan la invarianza factorial configuracional, pero se desecha la ...
There is currently no evidence of the relationship between cyber dating abuse (CDA) and health-re... more There is currently no evidence of the relationship between cyber dating abuse (CDA) and health-related quality of life (HRQoL), especially from a longitudinal perspective. The objectives were: a) to analyze the point and period prevalence, incidence, and score changes over time of victimization by CDA; b) to compare HRQoL in the different categories of victims of CDA (nonvictims, new, ceased, intermittent, and stable victims). A three-wave longitudinal study was carried out over 13 months. The final sample was composed of adolescents who had a partner in the 6 months before the measurements: 341(W1), 357(W2), and 416(W3). The prevalence of CDA was 31.1% (W1), 32.8% (W2), and 18.1% (W3). The girls had higher prevalence in victimization by control than the boys in all waves. The period prevalence was 23% (20% for control, 15% for direct aggression) and the cumulative incidence was 15%. Stable victims had the lowest HRQoL scores.
For the Z-Generation, the Internet has become a very important experimentation laboratory for the... more For the Z-Generation, the Internet has become a very important experimentation laboratory for the discovery and validation of their identity. Despite the importance of the process of building the self in the adolescent, there are hardly any validated instruments that measure the self online. The aim of this research was to design and validate the Brief Self Online Scale (SO-8). A total of 843 students (384 boys, 45.6%), with an age range of 10 to 14 years participated. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) confirmed the hypothesized model of two correlated factors (Online Self-Perception and Online Idealized Projection), previously obtained through exploratory factor analysis (EFA). The reliability coefficients of Self Online dimensions were adequate. Indicators of convergent validity were obtained, finding significant correlations with self-concept, problematic Internet use, and online emotional intelligence. The SO-8 has adequate psychometric properties to be considered a reliable an...
El objetivo de este estudio ha sido identificar las creencias erróneas sostenidas por los adolesc... more El objetivo de este estudio ha sido identificar las creencias erróneas sostenidas por los adolescentes sobre el fenómeno del Ciberacoso Sexual Juvenil a partir de la realización de 5 grupos de discusión con un total de 37 estudiantes valencianos de Secundaria y Bachiller entre 14 y 18 años. El análisis interpretativo de los datos revela que los estudiantes entienden el fenómeno como una dinámica interaccional con varias fases mediante las que un adulto fácilmente identificable (“mito del viejo verde”) emplea estrategias predominantemente agresivas pretende obtener beneficios de tipo sexual contactándoles a través de Internet. Los participantes reconocen que es una situación habitual pero evitable si se detectan ciertas señales de alarma (“mito de la detectabilidad” y “falacia de control”) que derivan únicamente de su sentido común (“mito de la invencibilidad”), por lo que consideran a las víctimas responsables de su situación y atribuyen su silencio al “miedo razonable”, a la reprob...
The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetrati... more The objective of this study is to compare the prevalence of bullying victimization and perpetration between a sample of gifted students and a sample of nongifted students, and their relationship in both groups with depression, stress, anxiety, and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). A cross-sectional design was performed with two comparison groups: 449 Spanish adolescents identified as gifted ( Mage = 11.72, S D = 1.89) and 950 nongifted Spanish students ( Mage = 12.72, SD=0.79). Results reveal that 41.1%, 1.1%, and 9.5% of the gifted sample were pure-victims, pure-bullies, and bully-victims, respectively, compared to 21.8%, 2.4%, and 5.8% of the nongifted students. It is observed that gifted students are more likely to be victims (OR = 3.20[2.40, 4.28]). Gifted pure-victims have significantly higher stress scores than nongifted pure-victims ( p < .001). In general, pure-victims and bully-victims of gifted and nongifted students both have higher stress, anxiety, and depressio...
Recent research on sexting suggests it could be related to mental health, but so far studies have... more Recent research on sexting suggests it could be related to mental health, but so far studies have often used simple and not clinically validated measures of mental health. Specific aims of this study were: 1) to analyze the lifetime prevalence of sexting behaviors among a Spanish College Sample by gender, and 2) to examine the psychopathological profile of those students who engaged in sexting. Method: The sample consisted of 120 Spanish college students (75% female, 22.1 mean age) who took part in an online survey about their engagement in sexting behaviors and psychopathological symptomatology, measured by LSB-50. Results: Out of the sample, 42% of participants engaged in active sexting behaviors, 58% in passive sexting, and 31% of participants had both received content and sent content. Furthermore, 41.1% of the sample showed depressive symptoms, whilst 52.7% reported anxiety symptoms, and sexters were 2.98 times more likely to be depressed, 2.52 times more likely to have anxiety...
A large number of children sexually abused never reveal their victimization. In some of the cases... more A large number of children sexually abused never reveal their victimization. In some of the cases that do it, the latency of the disclosure is of years or even decades. Although there are many studies on the factors that influence the revelation of Child Sex Abuse (CSA), in Spain there are no recent publications that encompass and synthesize the currently available scientific evidence about the factors related to the different figures of the victim, the perpetrator and the relationship between them. In this work we revised several studies and meta-studies about the reasons that lead the victims to keep the abuse secret. To the difficulties that generally children present to reveal a secret, especially when that involves some adult or it is related to sexual aspects, some other issues are added, such as the developmental stage and the gender of the child, their perception of responsibility and guilt during the abuse, the fear of the real or imaginary consequences. The abuser’s situa...
Abstract In recent years, the video game industry has introduced the possibility of buying virtua... more Abstract In recent years, the video game industry has introduced the possibility of buying virtual random goods (e.g., loot boxes) in electronic games using money through microtransactions, which are becoming more widespread and potentially akin to gambling. Although previous research has linked loot boxes with problematic gaming and gambling behaviors, there are very few studies that relate them to the clinical indicators of these problems. The overall goal of this study is to ascertain the prevalence of loot box purchasing behavior and its association with Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) and Online Gambling Disorder (OGD). A secondary objective is to develop and analyze the psychometric properties of the Problematic Use of Loot Boxes Questionnaire (PU-LB). A cross-sectional study was conducted among 6633 participants (4236 males, 63.9%, and 4123 minors, 62.2%) with an average age of 16.73 ± 3.40 in a range of 11–30 years. The Spanish versions of the Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS9-SF) and the Online Gambling Disorder Questionnaire (OGD-Q) were used. A total of 2013 (30.4%) participants reported purchasing a loot box in the last 12 months (28.9% among minors). A person who had purchased a loot box in the last 12 months had a prevalence rate (PR) of 3.66 [95% CI 2.66, 5.05] of presenting an IGD, and a PR = 4.85 [IC 95% 2.58, 9.12] of presenting an OGD. The PU-LB exhibited adequate reliability and validity indicators and was positively and significantly related to loot box expenditure, IGDS9-SF, and OGD-Q scores. The results are further discussed, and practical implications and future lines of research proposed.
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2021
The Internet has brought about a paradigm shift in the lives of many people, especially adolescen... more The Internet has brought about a paradigm shift in the lives of many people, especially adolescents. While it has opened great possibilities, it has also led to various risks such as cyberbullying and problematic Internet use (PIU). These two constructs have been extensively researched individually and jointly, but the existence of different profiles of problematic use according to the role a person assumes in the context of cyberbullying has not yet been explored. Therefore, the main aim of this study is to analyze the different PIU profiles of those who have been cybervictims, cyberbullies, and cyberbully victims. An analytical and cross-sectional study was conducted on 25,341 adolescents between 10 and 18 years of age (14.60 ± 1.68). The Cyberbullying Triangulation Questionnaire (CTQ) and the Spanish version of the Generalized and Problematic Internet Use Scale-2 (GPIUS2) were used. The results indicate that cybervictims (6.4 percent), cyberbullies (4.3 percent), and cyberbully victims (2.7 percent) have different profiles of PIU (p < 0.001). Two common profiles emerge from the three roles: one of nonproblematic use and the other of severe problematic use. Participants who presented severe problematic use are the ones who obtained higher scores in cybervictimization and cyberaggression, particularly in the case of cyberbully victims. Furthermore, this profile is 7.6 (IC99 percent:6.11-9.44) times more likely to present PIU than noninvolved adolescents. These results are relevant when planning cyberbullying-focused interventions and programs because of the association between cyberbullying and general PIU.
Uploads