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Social Support Seeking in Relation to Parental Attachment and Peer Relationships Among Victims of Cyberbullying

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2015

Anna Ševčíková ,
Hana Macháčková ,
Michelle F. Wright ,
Lenka Dědková  and
Alena Černá
Anna Ševčíková*
Affiliation:
Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Families, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, The Czech Republic
Hana Macháčková
Affiliation:
Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Families, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, The Czech Republic
Michelle F. Wright
Affiliation:
Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Families, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, The Czech Republic
Lenka Dědková
Affiliation:
Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Families, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, The Czech Republic
Alena Černá
Affiliation:
Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Families, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Brno, The Czech Republic
*
address for correspondence: Anna Ševčíková, Institute for Research on Children, Youth and Families, Faculty of Social Studies, Masaryk University, Joštova 10, 60200 Brno, The Czech Republic. Email: asevciko@fss.muni.cz
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Abstract

Victims use social support seeking (SSS) to buffer the negative effects of cyberbullying. It is unknown whether cyber-victims’ perceptions of harm and having poor peer and parental relationships influence SSS. Using a sample of 451 cyberbullying-victims, aged 12–18, 68% girls, this study examined relationships of gender, harm, peer rejection, parental attachment, offline victimisation and online aggression to SSS, and tested the interaction of harm with peer rejection and parental attachment. Findings from logistic regression revealed that poor parental attachment and higher peer rejection decreased SSS, and that the association between parental attachment and SSS was stronger among cyber-victims with higher harm. This study highlights the importance of assessing cyber-victims’ attachment and experiences with their peers when implementing preventative intervention programs.

Keywords

cyberbullyingparentssocial support seekingcoping strategypeer aggression
Type
Articles
Information
Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools , Volume 25 , Issue 2 , December 2015 , pp. 170 - 182
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Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

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