Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties 

About: Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties is an academic journal published by Taylor & Francis. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Mental health & Special education. It has an ISSN identifier of 1363-2752. Over the lifetime, 669 publications have been published receiving 11031 citations. The journal is also known as: EBDs & EBD.

Victims’ perceptions of traditional and cyberbullying, and the psychosocial correlates of their victimisation.

Abstract: It is well recognised that there are serious correlates for victims of traditional bullying. These have been shown to include increased levels of depression, anxiety and psychosomatic symptoms, in addition to often severe physical harm and even suicide. Bullied students also feel more socially ineffective and have greater interpersonal difficulties, together with higher absenteeism from school and lower academic competence. In the emerging field of cyberbullying many researchers have hypothesised a greater impact and more severe consequences for victims because of the 24/7 nature and the possibility of the wider audience with this form of bullying. However, to date there is scarce empirical evidence to support this. This study sought to compare victims' perceptions of the harshness and impact of bullying by traditional and cyber means. The major findings showed that although students who had been victimised by traditional bullying reported that they felt their bullying was harsher and crueller and had mor...

Peer victimisation and depressive symptoms: can specific coping strategies buffer the negative impact of cybervictimisation?

Abstract: This longitudinal study investigated whether cybervictimisation is an additional risk factor for depressive symptoms over and beyond traditional victimisation in adolescents. Furthermore, it explored whether certain coping strategies moderate the impact of cybervictimisation on depressive symptoms. A total of 765 Swiss seventh graders (mean age at time-point 1 (t1) = 13.18 years) reported on the frequency of traditional and cybervictimisation, and of depressive symptoms twice in six months. At time-point 2 (t2) students also completed a questionnaire on coping strategies in response to a hypothetical cyberbullying scenario. Analyses showed that both traditional and cybervictimisation were associated with higher levels of depressive symptoms. Cybervictimisation also predicted increases in depressive symptoms over time. Regarding coping strategies, it was found that helpless reactions were positively associated with depressive symptoms. Moreover, support seeking from peers and family showed a significant buffering effect: cybervictims who recommended seeking close support showed lower levels of depressive symptoms at t2. In contrast, cybervictims recommending assertive coping strategies showed higher levels of depressive symptoms at t2.

Cyberbullying victimisation in adolescence: relationships with loneliness and depressive mood

Abstract: Cyberbullying is deliberate, aggressive activity carried out through digital means. Cybervictimisation in adolescence may be related to negative psychosocial variables such as loneliness and depressive mood. The purpose of the present study, the first of its kind in Israel, was to examine the association between adolescent cybervictimisation and two socio-emotional variables: loneliness and depressive mood. The sample consisted of 242 Israeli adolescents, aged 13–16 years, who completed questionnaires regarding Internet use, cyberbullying, traditional bullying, loneliness and depressive mood. In total, 16.5% of the participants reported being cybervictims and 32.5% reported knowing someone who was cybervictimised. The results revealed a relationship between cybervictimisation and loneliness (social, emotional and general) as well as depressive mood. A logistic hierarchical regression found that loneliness, gender and depressive mood each explained some variance in cybervictimisation in adolescents. As an ...

Predictors of victimisation across direct bullying, indirect bullying and cyberbullying

Abstract: Cyberbullying may sometimes be an extension of traditional bullying. However, some particular features of cyberbullying suggest that it may have a distinct causal pathway, due to the social context of a virtual environment within which peer social processes occur. Moreover, boys and girls may perceive and respond differentially to their social context, which may heighten the risk for victimisation. This study aimed to describe how the perceived relational context (school, peers and family) may influence the probability of becoming a victim, in both offline and virtual contexts, among boys and girls. A questionnaire, measuring school climate; global, family and peer self-esteem; loneliness in relationship with parents and peers; and victimisation in traditional direct, traditional indirect and cyberbullying, was completed by 2326 Italian adolescents (mean age 13.9 years). For traditional victimisation, significant predictors were loneliness in relations with peers and a negative perception of school climat...

Does the association with psychosomatic health problems differ between cyberbullying and traditional bullying

Abstract: The association between mental health problems and traditional bullying is well known,whereas the strength of the association in cyberbullying is less known. This study aimedto compare the associat ...