Publication year
2015
Citation Title
Cyber victimization and aggression: Are they linked with adolescent smoking and drinking?
Journal Name
Child Youth Care Forum
Journal Volume
45
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
47-63
DOI
10.1007/s10566-015-9318-x
Summary
An examination of the associations between cyber victimization and adolescent smoking and drinking was conducted. Adolescents completed self-report measures assessing peer victimization, peer aggression, and the frequency of cigarette and alcohol use. Overall, cyber victimization and cyber aggression co-occurred with adolescent cigarette and alcohol use.
Key Findings
Greater cyber victimization was associated with a higher frequency of smoking, drinking, and binge drinking, when controlling for traditional victimization.
Gender was not part of the relationships between cyber victimization and any substance use outcome.
Cyber Victimization and Aggression: Are They Linked With Adolescent Smoking and Drinking?
Implications for Military Professionals
Engage youth of Service members in peer education efforts around cyber victimization and peer aggression via electronic media
Provide Service members and parents workshops on cyber victimization and peer aggression
Implications for Program Leaders
Cyber Victimization and Aggression: Are They Linked With Adolescent Smoking and Drinking?
Integrate a module into anti-bullying and victimization programs that addresses adolescent substance use and the association to cyber victimization
Implications for Policy Makers
Support collaboration between military branches and community level organizations that are building awareness and developing programming around cyber victimization and peer aggression
Encourage awareness campaigns among Service member parents and military professionals about cyber victimization and peer aggression via electronic media
Methods
Participants were recruited through their science classes in two public schools in southeastern United States.
Adolescents completed questionnaires on topics about peer experiences, and cyber peer aggression, and substance abuse during class time and were supervised by trained research assistants.
Preliminary analyses and correlations were conducted to test interactions between several covariates (e.g. gender, age, and school), frequency of substance abuse, and cyber victimization.
Participants
Participants included 1,064 adolescents between the ages of 13-19 years old.
Criteria for inclusion in the study required that students speak English and were enrolled in a science course at one of the two high schools.
Adolescents were predominantly of Hispanic descent, with 71.2 % identifying as White-Hispanic, 12.2 % Black, 10.4 % Non-Hispanic White, 3.9 % Asian, and 2.2 % unknown.
Limitations
Study data were cross-sectional and correlational; therefore, inferences regarding causation and directionality between study variables cannot be made.
The sample in this study was predominantly Hispanic, which may limit the findings’ generalizability to other ethnic/cultural groups.
The focus on just peer risk variables, limits a holistic understanding of risk factors for youths’ substance use.
Avenues for Future Research
Incorporate community and family level variables so as to provide a more comprehensive picture of risk factors for youths’ cigarette and alcohol use
Focus more deeply on what some of potential mechanisms underlying the associations between aggression and substance use may be
Include multiple stakeholder perspectives, including adolescents and their parents from different diverse backgrounds (e.g. socioeconomic, race, ethnicity, age)
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
Background: Adolescent substance use represents a significant public health concern. Growing research has linked peer victimization with substance use among youth, however, less attention has been devoted to the role of cyber victimization specifically, while controlling for peer aggression. Objective: This study examined the unique associations between cyber victimization and adolescent smoking and drinking, controlling for traditional peer victimization types and for peer aggression. Methods: Participants were 1064 9th_12th graders, who completed self-report measures assessing peer victimization, peer aggression, and the frequency of cigarette and alcohol use. Censored regression analyses were used to evaluate study aims. Results: Greater cyber victimization was related to greater smoking, drinking, and binge drinking, controlling for traditional forms of peer victimization, but not when controlling for peer aggression. Cyber aggression emerged as a unique correlate of all substance use outcomes. Conclusions Cyber victimization and cyber aggression co-occur with adolescent cigarette and alcohol use, however, only cyber aggression demonstrates unique associations. Findings suggest that prevention programs for adolescent substance use might evaluate and potentially target adolescents’ victimization and aggression, especially in the cyber realm. Adolescent substance use may be important to evaluate and monitor in anti-bullying and victimization interventions.
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