Cyberbullying Aggression in Adolescence: The Contributions of Personality and Psychological Maturity

Jorge-Manuel Dueñas; Carlos-Fionn Gómez-Reche; Diana Sanchez-Valiente; Ainara  Blanco-Goméz

doi:10.19090/pp.v19i2.2589

Authors

Jorge-Manuel Dueñas Departament de Psicologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8954-7947
Carlos-Fionn Gómez-Reche Departament de Psicologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5132-5209
Diana Sanchez-Valiente Departament de Psicologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain https://orcid.org/0009-0006-1110-4165
Ainara Blanco-Goméz Departament de Psicologia, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3239-1512

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.19090/pp.v19i2.2589

Keywords:

cyberbullying, adolescents, personality traits, psychological maturity, online agression

Abstract

Cyberbullying during adolescence is a growing concern and is exacerbated by the widespread use of information and communication technologies (ICTs). This study explores the relationship between cyberbullying aggression, personality traits, and psychological maturity in a sample of Spanish adolescents from the city of Tarragona, Spain (N = 276, age range = 14–18 years, M = 16.2 years). Our sample consisted of 43% male, 56% female, and 1.1% non-binary students. Participants completed the European Cyberbullying Intervention Project Questionnaire (ECIP-Q), the Overall Personality Assessment Scale (OPERAS), and the Psychological Maturity Assessment Scale (PSYMAS). Descriptive analyses, correlational tests, independent-samples t tests, and hierarchical multiple regression analyses showed that boys scored significantly higher than girls in cyberbullying aggression (one-tailed), and also showed higher emotional stability, whereas girls scored higher in openness to experience. In the final regression model, higher extraversion, lower agreeableness, and lower work orientation significantly predicted cyberbullying aggression, while autonomy exhibited an insignificant effect. None of the gender interaction terms were significant, indicating that these associations did not differ between boys and girls. Overall, the findings highlight the central role of sociability, empathy, and responsibility in explaining adolescents’ involvement in cyberbullying. From an applied perspective, interventions aimed at fostering empathy, perspective-taking, self-regulation, and impulse control, particularly in highly extraverted adolescents, may help reduce aggressive online behaviours.

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