Characteristics of Internet Use in Relation to School Bullying

Abstract

Objectives: The objective of this study was to evaluate the characteristics of internet use related to school bullying (victims, bully-victims, bullies) in adolescents. Methods: A total of 10,013 middle and high school students in Gyeonggi-do were surveyed using demographic information, the Korea-Youth Self Report (K-YSR), and the Internet K-scale, Child Depression Inventory (CDI). All students were classified as victims, bully-victims, bullies, or control groups according to their bullying experience. A Chi-square test and one-way ANOVA were used to compare the four groups. Results: The victims, bully-victims, and bullies groups showed significantly higher scores on the K-YSR and CDI than the control group. They also indicated significantly higher scores on the Internet K-scale than the control group. Conclusion: The victims, bully-victims, and bullies groups had significantly higher risk for internet addiction than those with no bullying experience. Though we cannot conclude that Internet addiction is a cause or consequence of bullying, clinicians must consider the possibility of internet addiction in cases of adolescents involved in bullying.