Cyberbullying rarely occurs in isolation; it almost always functions as an extension of physical and verbal aggression already present in the school environment.
This is according to a study published in the journal Psychiatry Research.
This study aimed to identify latent classes of adolescent involvement in bullying and cyberbullying, looking for overlap between these indicators, and their associations with psychological symptoms, substance use, screen time and sociodemographic factors in a census-based sample of 4,280 Brazilian students from 13 schools, ranging from the seventh grade of middle school to the twelfth grade of high school.
The study raises a concerning warning beyond mapping instances of aggression: young people trapped in this network of multiple bullying contexts show a strong association with psychological distress and the use of substances such as alcohol and cigarettes.
The study identified three profiles of adolescents. The majority of them (48%) make up a group that shows no significant association with any type of violence. The next group, representing 46% of the sample, consists of young people who are frequently bullied at school and sometimes engage in bullying but rarely in cyberbullying. The final group, representing 6% of the sample, is the most complex: the so-called “victim-perpetrators” who experience and perpetrate acts of aggression in multiple contexts and frequently move between physical and online environments.
Though it is the smallest group, the third group is the most vulnerable. More than half (52.4%) of young people classified as victim-perpetrators in multiple contexts exhibit psychological symptoms at a clinically significant level, compared to 12.5% of those not involved in bullying – an 11-fold higher likelihood. They are also more likely to use alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs: seven out of ten have consumed alcohol at some point in their lives, and cigarette use is nearly three times more frequent than among their peers who are not involved in bullying incidents.
“The research shows that violence against the same young person occurs both at school and online, indicating that cyberbullying is often an extension of in-person conflict. We have to look very closely at these young people involved in multiple contexts. It isn’t just bullying. It includes mental health issues and the use of alcohol and other drugs. There’s no way to separate them. This study reinforces the evidence that in Brazil, it isn’t possible to have one program focused solely on mental health, another on drug prevention, and a third against bullying, as is often seen in schools. Everything is connected,” said Professor Zila Sanchez, coordinator of the study.
The study emphasized the need for school programs that integrate violence prevention, mental healthcare, and efforts to combat alcohol and drug use.
How to identify
Sanchez explained that typical adolescent behavioral changes tend to be temporary. However, a red flag arises when isolation, aggression, irritability, or disruptive behavior become frequent and interfere with a young person’s studies, social interactions, or other areas of their life.
According to the professor, behavior is classified as bullying when it is recurring and not limited to physical aggression. It can involve social exclusion, humiliation, hiding belongings, making comments about physical appearance, and other types of insults.
“Physical violence actually accounts for a minority of cases, and the school intervenes to curb it. But we need to take a broader view of bullying. Cases range from frequently excluding a student from games or conversations to the point where they would rather stay in the classroom during recess to insults about their appearance, weight, and other characteristics. That often goes undiagnosed by the school,” she said.
Observed profile
One of the unique aspects of the study was its effort to identify patterns of adolescent behavior by analyzing their associations with psychological symptoms, drug use, and sociodemographic factors. In addition to administering an online questionnaire, the researchers conducted statistical analyses to identify probabilistic clusters that explain how different forms of violence tend to occur together in the sample (latent classes). Typically, studies of this type use an approach focused on isolated categories, such as online or physical aggression alone, and separate data sets.
The gender-specific results revealed that girls are more likely to be victims of bullying, while boys predominate in the group involved in multiple contexts. Younger adolescents and Black and Brown students are more likely to be in the highest-risk group. According to the researchers, this finding reinforced the importance of considering social and racial inequalities in prevention strategies.
One notable finding was that screen time was not a distinguishing factor between the groups, even though most students spend four hours or more online each day.
“We were unable to distinguish, based on the number of hours, any differences in impact between those exposed to cyberbullying and those not exposed to any type of violence. It has much more to do with the group they interact with on WhatsApp, for example, which is generally the same as their school group. Parents often think that keeping their children away from screens protects them. Protection isn’t just about limiting screen time; it’s also about what teenagers are doing, who they’re interacting with, and what’s happening,” said Sanchez.
When discussing the role of parents, the professor cited another study published by her group. Based on data from the same sample, the study revealed that parental attitudes are one of the most significant factors in preventing alcohol and drug use among young people. The data indicated that the way parents raise their children can significantly reduce the risk of substance use, even in families where caregivers use substances such as cigarettes, vapes, and marijuana. This reduction becomes even more significant when the relationship between generations is characterized by bonding, presence, dialogue, and clear rules.
From science to public policy
By analyzing programs aimed at preventing bullying, mental health issues, and substance use among young people, the researchers identified gaps in public policy regarding the integration of schools, families, and health services.
