Cyberbullying, Social Media Addiction and Associations with Depression, Anxiety, and Stress among Medical Students in Malaysia.

This study aims to determine the prevalence and factors associated with cyberbullying and social media addiction. This cross-sectional study was conducted among 270 medical students from a public university in Kuching, Malaysia. The instruments used in this study included the cyberbullying questionnaire survey, Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS), and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale 21-item (DASS-21). The prevalence of cyberbullying victimization was 24.4%, whilst 13.0% reported cyberbullying perpetration over the past six months. Male gender was positively associated with both cyberbullying perpetration and cybervictimization, whilst social media addiction was positively associated with cybervictimization. Psychological motives such as positive attitudes toward cyberbullying and gaining power were associated with cyberbullying perpetration. Cybervictimization doubled the tendency to depression (aOR 2.50, 95% CI [1.23, 5.08], p = 0.012), anxiety (aOR 2.38, 95% CI [1.29, 4.40], p = 0.006), and stress (aOR 2.85, 95% CI [1.41, 5.77], p = 0.004), whilst social media addiction was associated with a higher tendency to depression (aOR 1.18, 95% CI [1.10, 1.26], p < 0.001), anxiety (aOR 1.15, 95% CI [1.08, 1.22], p < 0.001), and stress (aOR 1.21, 95% CI [1.12, 1.32], p < 0.001). Medical schools in Malaysia need policies and guidelines against cyberbullying.

Prevalence and Correlates of Non-Dating Sexual Violence, Sexual Dating Violence, and Physical Dating Violence Victimization among U.S. High School Students during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Adolescent Behaviors and Experiences Survey, United States, 2021.

The COVID-19 pandemic created an environment of disruption and adversity for many adolescents. We sought to establish the prevalence of non-dating sexual violence, sexual dating violence, and physical dating violence victimization among adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic and to investigate whether experiences of disruption and adversity placed adolescents at greater risk for these forms of interpersonal violence. We conducted a secondary analysis of data from the Adolescent Behavior and Experiences Survey, collected January to June 2021 from a nationally representative sample of U.S. high school students (N = 7,705). Exposures included abuse by a parent; economic, housing, and food and nutrition insecurity; interpersonal connectedness; and personal well-being. Among female students, 8.0% experienced non-dating sexual violence; 12.5% experienced sexual dating violence; and 7.7% experienced physical dating violence. Among male students, 2.2% experienced non-dating sexual violence; 2.4% experienced sexual dating violence; and 4.9% experienced physical dating violence. Among female students, both emotional and physical abuse by a parent was related to non-dating sexual violence, emotional abuse was related to sexual dating violence, and physical abuse was related to physical dating violence. Among males, emotional abuse by a parent was related to physical dating violence and physical abuse by a parent was related to sexual dating violence. Hunger was associated with sexual and physical dating violence among female students and homeless was associated with physical dating violence among male students. Although there were differences by sex, abuse by a parent, hunger, and homelessness created precarity that may have increased the likelihood that adolescents would be exposed to risky peer or dating relationships. Adolescents need support that stops and prevents experiences of non-dating sexual and dating violence connected to interventions that address adversities experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Is cyberbullying perpetration associated with anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation among lebanese adolescents? Results from a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: As cyberbullying is a new area of investigation, results worldwide point to the prevalence of cyberbullying perpetration. This study aimed to assess the association between cyberbullying perpetration, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation among Lebanese adolescents. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was conducted between May and June 2021 and included a sample of adolescents aged between 13 and 16 years old, recruited from private schools chosen in a convenient way from all Lebanese districts. A total of 520 students accepted to participate in our study. To collect data, a questionnaire was shared by google form including: Cyber Bully/Cyber victim questionnaire; Lebanese Anxiety Scale; and Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents. RESULTS: The results of the linear regressions, taking anxiety and depression as dependent variables, showed that female gender, having kind of hard and very/extremely hard influence of problems on daily work, sexual cyberbullying in cyberspace, embarrassing and inserting malicious content in cyberspace and older age were significantly associated with more anxiety and depression. Having kind of hard influence of problems on daily work compared to not at all, higher anxiety, higher depression and higher household crowding index (lower socioeconomic status) were significantly associated with higher odds of having suicidal ideation in the last month. CONCLUSION: Cyberbullying perpetration and its associated factors reported in this study are significant enough to call for early detection and prevention strategies for Lebanese adolescents. At the school level, effective programs implemented in the school years are needed, aiming to develop social/emotional control, and conflict resolution skills as they might decrease engagement in cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents. Preventive interventions are needed to reduce the engagement of Lebanese adolescents in cyberbullying perpetration.

Adolescent Victimization during COVID-19 Lockdowns and Its Influence on Mental Health Problems in Seven Countries: The Mediation Effect of Resilience.

The objective of this study was to test the differences between the mean scores of victimization, an indicator of depression, stress, and anxiety (DASS), across seven countries (Australia, Chile, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Poland, and the Russian Federation) during the COVID-19 lockdowns. In addition, this study sought to analyze the mediator role of resilience in these relationships in the different countries. To this end, a structural equation model (SEM) was tested and differences across countries were considered through a multigroup analysis. Data for adolescent students from seven countries (n = 7241) collected by the Global Research Alliance showed that levels of anxiety, depression, and stress among adolescents were different in the countries assessed; all of them presented values above the mean of the indicator, with Chile and Russia having the highest values. Regarding the prevalence of exposure to violence, the mean across all countries studied was 34%, with the highest prevalence in Russia and India. At the global level, an adequate adjustment was observed in the SEM mediation model considering all countries. However, a mediator effect of resilience was only observed in the relationship between victimization and the indicator of DASS in Chile, Indonesia, and Russia. The results are discussed, analyzing the relevance of resilience as a protective factor for mental health during COVID-19 lockdowns.

Cyber-Victimization and Mental Health Concerns among Middle School Students Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic had significant impacts on adolescents' mental health and social interactions; however, little is known about cyber-victimization and mental health concerns from before to during the pandemic. The current study addressed this gap, while also examining how social media use and disagreements with friends during the pandemic were associated with cyber-victimization and mental health outcomes. Participants included 272 youth in the U.S. (56% female; 32% White), surveyed in fall 2019 (Mage = 11.75, SD = 0.68) and spring 2021 (Mage = 13.11, SD = 0.75). Adolescents reported increases in mental health symptoms and decreases in cyber-victimization. Experiencing more cyber-victimization before the pandemic was associated with significant increases in anxiety, depression, and social stress. The results suggest bolstering violence prevention programming in schools to reduce the likelihood of cyber-victimization and associated mental health outcomes.

The severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on bullying victimization, mental health indicators and quality of life.

Children and adolescents have been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence of traditional and digital bullying and mental health problems a year into the pandemic. Further, how anxiety level, loneliness, and self-perceived school functioning have influenced the quality of life. A comprehensive questionnaire was administered (N = 1239) in the city of Tromsø and compared to a similar data collection (N = 972) conducted in the same schools in 2017. The main findings were increased prevalence in bullying, more mental health problems and significantly reduced quality of life compared to before the pandemic. Implications and the importance of implementing anti-bullying and psychosocial measures after the pandemic are discussed.

Characterization of Cyberbullying Victimization and Perpetration Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain.

Cyberbullying is an extremely damaging form of interpersonal violence. Little is yet known about cyberbullying behaviors in the child and youth population during the COVID-19 pandemic and what effect this reduction in face-to-face social interactions has had on an increase in socialization via the Internet and cyberbullying. The present study is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted in young people between the ages of 12 and 27 years attending two secondary schools in southern Spain (N = 733) to examine differences regarding sociodemographic characteristics, academic performance, and digital device use (independent variables) in the experiences of cybervictimization, cyberperpetration, and adverse psychological effects (dependent variables). Logistic regression models were constructed for each of the dependent variables including the independent variables mentioned above. More than 50 percent of the sample were victims of cyberbullying. Females and the LGBTIQ+ Community were at greater risk of being cybervictims and suffer adverse psychological effects. A total of 22.8 percent of the students reported having been victims and 26.5 percent perpetrators of cyberbullying for the first time during the COVID-19 pandemic, but no other major differences were observed. These findings point out that cyberbullying must be prioritized in public policy as part of an overall strategy for combating violence in childhood and adolescence, as well as gender-based and discriminatory violence.

LGBTQ+ Students' Peer Victimization and Mental Health before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Given the well-established health disparities between lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and gender-expansive (LGBTQ+) and cisgender, straight youth, scholars predicted the COVID-19 pandemic would disproportionately impact LGBTQ+ students. Yet, few studies have described changes in LGBTQ+ students' school experiences and well-being during the pandemic. Using survey data from 40,904 middle and high school students, we examined changes from before (2018) to during (2021) the pandemic in peer victimization, anxiety, and suicide attempts. We conducted bivariate and multivariate regression analyses to assess changes between the two time points among LGBTQ+ and cisgender, straight students. We found LGBTQ+ students experienced more peer victimization, anxiety, and suicide attempts at both points, before and during the pandemic, than cisgender, straight youth. However, LGBTQ+ students reported increased anxiety, decreased peer victimization, and decreased suicide attempts in 2021, during the pandemic, compared to pre-pandemic 2018 reports. These findings suggest pandemic-related school disruptions may have provided LGBTQ+ students some relief from the harmful effects of poor, in-person school climates.

LGBTQ Identity-Related Victimization During COVID-19 Is Associated with Moderate to Severe Psychological Distress Among Young Adults.

Purpose: Existing evidence indicates significant threats against the mental health of sexual and gender minority (SGM) young adults as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, including elevated rates of substance use, anxiety, depression, and traumatic stress. Therefore, it is imperative to understand the mechanistic identity-related factors that may influence the mental health needs of SGM young adults in the time of COVID-19. This study aims to examine the impact of increases in lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer or questioning (LGBTQ) identity-related victimization since the start of COVID-19 on psychological distress among SGM college students. Methods: A nonprobability, cross-sectional online survey was conducted between May and August 2020 to explore the psychological impacts of COVID-19 on U.S. SGM college students (N = 565). Previously validated scales were used to measure LGBTQ identity-related victimization and psychological distress. Chi-square tests of independence, independent samples T-tests, and adjusted logistic regression were used to examine the study aim. Results: Adjusted logistic regression findings revealed that reporting past year+more frequent LGBTQ identity-related victimization since the start of COVID-19 (compared to no report) was associated with over four times greater odds of experiencing moderate to severe psychological distress. Conclusion: Findings highlight the importance of research, practice, and policy stakeholders toward addressing the unique identity-related mental health needs and victimization experiences of SGM college students. Mental health, social service, and higher education practitioners have an important opportunity and responsibility toward identifying and intervening on SGM college students and young adults facing identity-related victimization amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Post-Assault Health Care for Sexual Assault Survivors During COVID-19: A Mixed Methods Analysis of Service Rates in a Predominately African American Community.

This study examined how the COVID-19 pandemic affected sexual assault healthcare services in a predominately African American U.S. city. In mixed methods research design, we used quantitative interrupted time series modeling to evaluate changes in service rates for three core post-assault healthcare services-medical forensic exams (MFEs), medical advocacy MFE accompaniment, and counseling-from January 2019 through June 2021. We also conducted qualitative interviews with 12 sexual assault advocates to understand how their clients were impacted by COVID and how their agency adapted services to respond to the needs of their community. Both the quantitative and qualitative data revealed marked disruptions in service provision. The number of MFEs, medical advocacy accompaniments, and counseling sessions significantly decreased during the pandemic's initial surge, and survivors feared seeking hospital-based health care due to concerns that they might contract COVID-19 in hospital emergency departments. The number of MFEs performed by program staff did not return to pre-pandemic levels during this study's observation period, but the number of medical advocacy accompaniments and counseling sessions did significantly rebound. Counseling services eventually exceeded pre-pandemic levels as agency staff supported clients with both assault- and COVID-related trauma and loss. These results underscore the need for community-based sexual assault healthcare services, so that if public health emergencies limit the availability, accessibility, and safety of hospital emergency department care, sexual assault survivors have other settings for obtaining post-assault health care.

Cumulative and independent effects of experiences of social adversity on support for violent radicalization during the COVID-19 pandemic: the mediating role of depression.

PURPOSE: Social adversity experiences have increased during the pandemic and are potential risk factors for both depression and support for violent radicalization (VR). However, the cumulative and independent effects of various social adversity experiences on support for VR have yet to be explored. This paper examines the cumulative and independent effects of COVID- and non-COVID-related discrimination, exposure to violence, traditional and cyberbullying victimization on support for VR. In addition, we investigate whether depression mediates the relationship between these forms of social adversity and support for VR. METHODS: A total of 6003 young adults (Mage = 27, SDage = 4.40, range 18-35) living in metropolitan areas in Canada responded to an online survey. We used multivariable regression models, controlling for socio-demographic characteristics, to infer covariate adjusted associations between social adversity measures and support for VR. Additionally, we conducted a formal mediation analysis to estimate the proportion mediated by depression. RESULTS: There was a cumulative relationship between experiences of social adversity and support for VR (ß = 1.52; 95% CI: 1.32, 1.72). COVID-related discrimination and cyberbullying victimization were independently associated with stronger support for VR. Depression partially mediated the effect of cumulative social adversity, COVID-related discrimination and cyberbullying on support for VR. CONCLUSION: Prevention programs during the present pandemic should prioritize decreasing discrimination and providing psychosocial support to depressed young adults who experience social adversity. Practitioners should prioritize developing programs that foster digital literacy skills and critical thinking among young adults to address the concerning impact of cyberbullying on support for VR.

Assessing the relationship between agency and peer violence among adolescents aged 10 to 14 years in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo and Blantyre, Malawi: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Interpersonal violence has physical, emotional, educational, social, and economic implications. Although there is interest in empowering young people to challenge harmful norms, there is scant research on how individual agency, and, specifically, the "power to" resist or bring about an outcome relates to peer violence perpetration and victimization in early adolescence. This manuscript explores the relationship between individual agency and peer violence perpetration and victimization among very young adolescents (VYAs) living in two urban poor settings in sub-Saharan Africa (Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Blantyre, Malawi). METHODS AND FINDINGS: The study draws on two cross-sectional surveys including 2,540 adolescents 10 to 14 years from Kinshasa in 2017 (girls = 49.8% and boys = 50.2%) and 1,213 from Blantyre in 2020 (girls = 50.7% and boys = 49.3%). The sample was school based in Malawi but included in-school and out-of-school participants in Kinshasa due to higher levels of early school dropout. Peer violence in the last 6 months (dependent variable) was defined as a four categorical variable: (1) no victimization or perpetration; (2) victimization only; (3) perpetration only; and (4) both victimization and perpetration. Agency was operationalized using 3 scales: freedom of movement, voice, and decision-making, which were further divided into tertiles. Univariate analysis and multivariable multinomial logistic regressions were conducted to evaluate the relationships between each agency indicator and peer violence. The multivariable regression adjusted for individual, family, peer, and community level covariates. All analyses were stratified by gender and site. In both sites, adolescents had greater voice and decision-making power than freedom of movement, and boys had greater freedom of movement than girls. Boys in both settings were more likely to report peer violence in the last six months than girls (40% to 50% versus 32% to 40%, p < 0.001), mostly due to higher rates of a perpetration-victimization overlap (18% to 23% versus 10% to 15%, p < 0.001). Adolescents reporting the greatest freedom of movement (Tertile 3) (with the exception of girls in Kinshasa) had a greater relative risk ratio (RRR) of reporting a perpetrator-victim overlap (boys Kinshasa: RRR = 1.9 (1.2 to 2.8, p = 0.003); boys Blantyre: RRR = 3.8 (1.7 to 8.3, p = 0.001); and girls Blantyre: RRR = 2.4 (1.1 to 5.1, p = 0.03)). Adolescents with the highest decision-making power in Kinshasa also had greater RRR of reporting a perpetrator-victim overlap (boys: RRR = 3.0 (1.8 to 4.8, p < 0.001). Additionally, girls and boys in Kinshasa with intermediate decision-making power (tertile 2 versus 1) had a lower RRR of being victimized (Girls: RRR = 1.7 (1.02 to 2.7, p = 0.04); Boys: RRR = 0.6 (0.4 to 0.9, p = 0.01)). Higher voice among boys in Kinshasa (Tertile 2: RRR = 1.9 (1.2 to 2.9, p = 0.003) and Tertile 3: 1.8 (1.2 to 2.8, p = 0.009)) and girls in Blantyre (Tertile 2: 2.0 (1.01 to 3.9, p = 0.048)) was associated with a perpetrator-victim overlap, and girls with more voice in Blantyre had a greater RRR of being victimized (Tertile 2: RRR = 1.9 (1.1 to 3.1, p = 0.02)). Generally, associations were stronger for boys than girls, and associations often differed when victimization and perpetration occurred in isolation of each other. A main limitation of this study is that the cross-sectional nature of the data does not allow a causal interpretation of the findings, which need further longitudinal exploration to establish temporality. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we observed that peer violence is a gendered experience that is related to young people's agency. This stresses the importance of addressing interpersonal violence in empowerment programs and of including boys who experience the greatest perpetration-victimization overlap.

Domestic Violence Victimization Among Men Who Have Sex with Men in China During the COVID-19 Lockdown.

Many countries worldwide have implemented dedicated measures, such as shelter at home, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus. However, those mitigation measures may have major implications for individuals living with someone abusive or controlling. Domestic violence (DV) may be one of the unintended consequences of public health measures due to increased various stressors and reduced access to support and services. There has been a lack of empirical research on DV victimization among gender and sexual minorities, a population vulnerable to interpersonal violence and its associated adverse health outcomes. This study investigates the prevalence of DV victimization among men who have sex with men (MSM) in Jiangsu Province, China, during the COVID-19 lockdown and its correlates with COVID-19-related psychosocial and health stressors. A total of 413 MSM were recruited via snowball sampling, venue-based, and internet-based sampling from four cities in Jiangsu Province. After providing informed consent, all participants completed study questionnaires, followed by HIV testing. Over a quarter of the participants (27.4%) reported DV victimization during the COVID-19 lockdown, including experience of verbal, physical, or sexual abuse. After adjusting sociodemographic factors, DV victimization was associated with various adverse experiences during the COVID-19 lockdown, including increased stress or anxiety level, increased alcohol use, and housing instability. Study findings underscore the prevalence of DV victimization among MSM during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. The results can inform public health efforts to raise awareness and address DV victimization among MSM in the low- and middle-income country context during the COVID-19 pandemic. Adequate health and social services and economic resources are also critical to address the needs of MSM experiencing DV victimization.

Commentary on the special issue on disproportionate exposure to trauma: Trauma, stress, and adversities and health disparities among disenfranchised groups globally during the COVID pandemic.

The papers in this Journal of Traumatic Stress special issue on disproportionate adversity cover the gamut of discrimination traumas and stressors, including microaggressions, a more insidious forms of discrimination, and their often-devastating and wide-ranging mental health sequelae, in disproportionately affected disenfranchised groups. Discrimination based on race, ethnicity, gender, and sexual orientation commonly confers cumulative and chronic effects. In the field of traumatic stress studies, several types of identity-linked traumatic events have been identified and empirically investigated as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)-producing experiences. Collectively, the 13 papers included in this special issue raise questions about the definition, conceptualization, and categorization of various forms of explicit and implicit identity-linked trauma. These papers highlight the need for acceptance of a shared nomenclature and better differentiation of both causal and correlational associations with acute and chronic PTSD, depression, suicide risk, alcohol misuse, and other mental health outcomes. In this commentary, the discussion is extended to COVID-19, a disease that has been globally devastating for many. On multiple levels (i.e., physical, mental, emotional, economic, and social), COVID-19 has magnified the prepandemic fault lines of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. Applying a syndemic framework to the health impact of COVID-19 and, arguably, the most pervasive identity linked epidemic worldwide-systemic racism-brings perspective to the biological and social forces that are likely to be driving the convergence of COVID-19, systemic racism, and chronic health inequities, and may be informative in guiding evidence-based strategies for managing racial trauma in the context of COVID-19.

Mental health solutions for domestic violence victims amid COVID-19: a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Due to COVID-19, domestic violence victims face a range of mental health challenges, possibly resulting in substantial human and economic consequences. However, there is a lack of mental health interventions tailored to domestic violence victims and in the context of COVID-19. In this study, we aim to identify interventions that can improve domestic violence victims' mental health amid the COVID-19 pandemic to address the research gap. MAIN TEXT: Drawing insights from established COVID-19 review frameworks and a comprehensive review of PubMed literature, we obtained information on interventions that can address domestic violence victims' mental health challenges amid COVID-19. We identified practical and timely solutions that can be utilized to address mental health challenges domestic violence victims face amid COVID-19, mainly focusing on (1) decreasing victims' exposure to the abuser and (2) increasing victims' access to mental health services. CONCLUSION: Domestic violence is a public health crisis that affects all demographics and could result in significant morbidity and mortality. In addition to emphasizing mental health challenges faced by domestic violence victims, multidisciplinary interventions are identified that could provide timely and practical solutions to domestic violence victims amid the pandemic, which range from tailored shelter home strategies, education programs, escape plans, laws and regulations, as well as more technology-based mental health solutions. There is a significant need for more multipronged and multidisciplinary strategies to address domestic violence amid and beyond the pandemic, particularly interventions that could capitalize on the ubiquity and cost-effectiveness of technology-based solutions.

Effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak on Elder Mistreatment and Response in New York City: Initial Lessons.

New York City is currently experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19, a highly contagious and potentially deadly virus, which is particularly dangerous for older adults. This pandemic has led to public health policies including social distancing and stay-at-home orders. We explore here the impact of this unique crisis on victims of elder mistreatment and people at risk of victimization. The COVID-19 outbreak has also had a profound impact on the organizations from many sectors that typically respond to protect and serve victims of elder mistreatment. We examine this impact and describe creative solutions developed by these organizations and initial lessons learned in New York City to help inform other communities facing this pandemic and provide guidance for future crises.