Adolescent cybervictims and cyberaggressors' parenting practises and sense of self: Self-worth as a mediating factor

Received: 03-Sep-2022, Manuscript No. PULJCP-22-5759; Editor assigned: 05-Sep-2022, Pre QC No. PULJCP-22-5759 (PQ); Accepted Date: Sep 22, 2022; Reviewed: 12-Sep-2022 QC No. PULJCP-22-5759 (Q); Revised: 18-Sep-2022, Manuscript No. PULJCP-22-5759 (R); Published: 25-Sep-2022, DOI: 10.37532/PULJCP.2022.6(5).58-59

Citation: Smith A. Adolescent cybervictims and cyberaggressors' parenting practises and sense of self: Self-worth as a mediating factor. J Child Psychol. 2022;6(5):58-59

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Abstract

Self-esteem and family ties are important considerations when analysing cyberbullying. The facilitating function of self-esteem in the relationships between parenting and cyberbullying, however, is poorly understood. The study's two objectives were to examine the relationship between self-esteem, parental acceptance or coercion, and parenting styles, as well as the relationship between these factors and being a cybervictim or cyberaggressor, and to determine whether selfesteem acts as a mediator in this relationship. The sample consists of 3026 Spanish adolescents aged 12 to 18 (51.5% girls and 48.5% boys). The study is cross-sectional, retrospective ex-post, and includes a variety of assessments. Because of their parents' high levels of compulsion and imposition and poor levels of connection and acceptance with their sons and daughters, cybervictims and cyberaggressors have low self-esteem. Self-esteem was found to mediate the relationship between parental involvement/acceptance and being a cybervictim, as well as the relationship between the father's involvement and being a cybervictim. Participants whose parents were authoritarian obtained significantly lower scores in self-esteem and higher scores in cybervictimization/cyberaggression, whereas those whose parents were indulgent obtained significantly higher scores in self-esteem and lower scores in cybervictimization/cyberaggression. Preventing cyberbullying can be greatly aided by having a healthy level of self-esteem, high parental acceptance and participation, and a parenting style that uses reasonable amounts of compulsion and discipline.

Introduction

The formation of social conduct is significantly influenced by parents, who serve as important socialisation agents and convey social values to their children either overtly or implicitly. Indeed, prior research has shown that kids are more likely to act pro-socially if their parents are able to foster a secure attachment, model altruistic behaviour, encourage and support their natural tendencies toward helping, cooperating, and sharing, convey the value of treating others with respect, require their kids to make good on any harm they have caused, and use an inductive discipline approach. The family may also play a crucial role as a barrier to the onset of violent behaviour and/or as a risk factor.

This variety of families is a reflection of how society has changed over time; everyone, whether related or not, has a place and contributes significantly to a nucleus. Furthermore, it demonstrates that what has been referred to as the "normal family" no longer exists. Instead, what constitutes the "normal" family today is the diversity that makes each family distinct, special, and unique. As a result, not all types of families necessarily serve as socialisation agents for their respective cultures or pass on those cultures' social values to their offspring.

One of the systems that has changed the most over time as a result of historical, social, economic, and cultural influences is the family. Numerous studies have been conducted in an effort to define families and the various sorts of families that exist in modern society as a result of these developments. The anthropological behaviour of families, the number of their components, and the relationships between them are used to categorise the various family studies that are now being conducted.

The current study examines the relationship between being a cybervictim or cyberaggressor and self-esteem, the degree of parental acceptance/coercion, as well as with various parenting styles, within the context of this contextualization. Additionally, it investigates whether or not self-esteem mediates the link between parental acceptance or coercion and being a cybervictim or cyberaggressor.

Numerous studies have been conducted on the connections between victimisation and self-esteem. Previous studies have indicated that virtually any form of maltreatment throughout childhood is likely to have a negative effect on self-esteem. Studies examining the connection between cyberbullying and self-esteem generally reveal that those who are victims of cyberbullying have lower levels of selfesteem than those who are not. The results support the decline in students' self-esteem and confidence who continue to be the targets of cyberbullying by their peers. Additionally, 86% of cybervictims who participated in the study agreed that it had some impact on their selfconfidence (78%) and self-esteem (70%), which were the most often affected areas. Vilchez has also discovered a significant negative link between aggressive cybervictimization and cybervictimization as a whole.

As a result, research is increasingly examining social and emotional resources, or protective characteristics, that make it easier to cope with peer cyberaggression. The improvement of health, subjective well-being, and a decrease in antisocial behaviours, as well as the possible negative impacts of cyberbullying, can all be significantly influenced by an increase in social and emotional skills, such as selfesteem. In fact, research has emphasised the importance of selfesteem in predicting adolescents' psychological adjustment and, consequently, the advantages of fostering self-esteem for students' mental health and general well-being.

The findings imply that a good sense of self-worth, high parental acceptance and participation, and a parenting style with a modicum of compulsion and discipline can have highly favourable effects on the reduction of aggressive peer behaviour and the prevention of cyberbullying. While the indulgent approach is a protective factor against cyberbullying and supports self-esteem, the authoritarian parenting style is linked to cyberbullying and low self-esteem. In addition, self-esteem is a mediator that may aid in explaining the psychological processes that underlie the connection between parental parenting practises and participation in cyberbullying. The findings point to raising children's and teenagers' self-esteem as a means of reducing the likelihood that they would become cybervictims or cyberaggressors by reducing the link between parental participation, acceptance, and compulsion.