Stability of the online grooming victimization of minors: Prevalence and association with shame, guilt, and mental health outcomes over one year.

INTRODUCTION: Online grooming is the process by which an adult manipulates a minor by using information and communication technologies to interact sexually with that minor. The objective of this study was to analyze the stability of online grooming victimization among minors and its relationship with demographic variables (e.g., gender, age, and sexual orientation), emotions of shame and guilt, and depression and anxiety symptoms. METHODS: The participants were 746 adolescents aged 12-14 years when the study started (Mage = 13.34, SD = 0.87) who completed self-reports at Time 1 (T1) and 1 year later at Time 2 (T2). Among them, 400 were girls, 344 were boys, and two were nonbinary. At each time point, the minors self-reported their online grooming experiences during the previous year. RESULTS: The results showed that 11.8% (n = 89) of the participants were T1-victims, 13% (n = 95) were T2-victims, and 11% (n = 81) were stable victims of online grooming. Stability in victimization was related to being older, being a sexual minority, being born abroad, having separated or divorced parents, and having parents with a lower education level. Stable victims showed higher shame and guilt scores at T1 than did T1-victims, indicating that elevated levels of shame and guilt could contribute to the persistence of online grooming over time. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, adolescents in the stable victim category presented more depression and anxiety symptoms. Intervention strategies should address emotions related to victimization, such as shame and guilt, as well as depression and anxiety symptoms.

Assessing image-based sexual abuse: Measurement, prevalence, and temporal stability of sextortion and nonconsensual sexting ("revenge porn") among adolescents.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study is to develop a new measure of victimization and perpetration of two frequent forms of image-based sexual abuse, namely sextortion (i.e., the threat of distributing sexual images to pressure the victim into doing something) and nonconsensual sexting (i.e., distributing sexual images of someone without the consent of the victim). Additional aims were to analyze the prevalence of these forms of victimization and perpetration and to examine their temporal stability over a 1-year period. METHODS: The sample was made up of 1820 Spanish adolescents (mean age = 13.38, SD = 1.42; 929 girls, 878 boys, 3 nonbinary, and 10 did not indicate gender) who completed self-report instruments on image-based sexual abuse and related variables (e.g., cyberbullying victimization). RESULTS: Confirmatory factor analysis supported a structure composed of the four hypothesized factors: sextortion victimization and perpetration, and nonconsensual sexting victimization and perpetration. Higher sexting, cyberbullying victimization, and symptoms of depression and anxiety had stronger associations with image-based sexual victimization than with perpetration, which showed evidence of concurrent validity. Prevalence was 2.6% and 0.7% for sextortion victimization and perpetration, respectively, and 3.4% and 4.9% for nonconsensual sexting victimization and perpetration, respectively. Temporal stability over 1 year was .26 for sextortion victimization, .19 for nonconsensual sexting victimization, .33 for nonconsensual sexting perpetration (all ps < .001), and nonsignificant for sextortion perpetration. The stability of nonconsensual sexting victimization was significantly higher for girls compared to boys, whereas nonconsensual sexting perpetration was more stable over 1 year for boys. CONCLUSIONS: Future studies must advance the analysis of the predictors and consequences of image-based sexual abuse among adolescents to better prevent this problem. Prevalence of sextortion and nonconsensual sexting is not negligible, and these problems should be particularly addressed in prevention programs.

Social climate in university classrooms: A mindfulness-based educational intervention.

There is a limited number of studies on the impact of mindfulness-based interventions on university students and their positive effect on collective experiences of shared flow. The aim of the present study was to explore the effectiveness of mindfulness training in terms of reducing stress and enhancing well-being, experiences of shared flow and classroom climate (engagement and affiliation). The intervention and control groups were matched by age and sex (n = 125; M = 20.71, SD = 4.60, 68% women). The intervention group comprised mindfulness exercises performed in the classroom over the course of 7 weeks. The principal variables were measured at pretest and posttest, and shared flow was also measured in the intervention group. In comparison with the control group, statistically significant differences were observed in the intervention group in relation to mindfulness, perceived stress, and classroom climate (affiliation). Furthermore, the perception of shared flow among students increased from the beginning to the end of the program. Mindfulness skills were found to mediate improvements in perceived well-being and stress. It is concluded that mindfulness practice can turn learning into a challenging and shared task. The study highlights the importance of fostering programs that enhance the development of competencies related to mindfulness among university students.

Cyberbullying in Adolescents: Resilience as a Protective Factor of Mental Health Outcomes.

The present cross-sectional research examined the moderating role of resilience in the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and mental health outcomes, measured based on depression symptoms and life satisfaction. The sample consisted of 2,108 adolescents aged 12-17 who completed measures of cyberbullying victimization, resilience, depression, and life satisfaction. Structural equation models showed an appropriate fit of the moderation model of resilience in the relationship between cyberbullying victimization and mental health outcomes [χ2 (149) = 1,270.368; root-mean-squared error of approximation = 0.066; comparative fit index = 0.923; Tucker-Lewis index = 0.907]. Regression analyses revealed significant interaction effects, indicating that among adolescents with high levels of resilience, cyberbullying victimization was associated with fewer symptoms of depression and a smaller reduction in life satisfaction. This study highlights the importance of working on resilience in adolescents as a mechanism to deal with cyberbullying victimization.

Autolesiones online entre adolescentes españoles: análisis de la prevalencia y de las motivaciones / Digital self-harm among spanish adolescents: analysis of prevalence and motivations

Las autolesiones online ("digital self-harm") consisten en el uso de las tecnologías de la información y la comunicación, como Internet y el teléfono móvil, para colgar, enviar o compartir contenidos que incluyen autolesiones físicas o que resultan dañinos o humillantes para uno mismo. El primer objetivo de este estudio consistió en examinar la prevalencia de diferentes formas de autolesiones online entre adolescentes. El segundo objetivo fue el de analizar las motivaciones para implicarse en autolesiones online empleando, para ello, una metodología cualitativa de análisis de contenido. La muestra de este estudio estuvo compuesta por 794 participantes (50.6% mujeres) entre 12 y 18 años (M = 14.29 y DT = 1.64). El 7.9% de los adolescentes reconoció haberse provocado algún daño físico y contarlo en Internet y el 3.8% haber publicado las fotos de una autolesión en Internet. Las motivaciones más frecuentes para implicarse en autolesiones online fueron: 1) hacerlo como una expresión de malestar; 2) buscar desahogo o alivio; 3) buscar la atención y comprensión de otros; 4) ver la reacción de otros; 5) porque consideraban que era gracioso; y 6) porque otros lo hacen o es "una moda". Los resultados sugieren que nos encontramos ante un problema preocupante que requiere ser mejor investigado

Digital self-harm consists of the use of information and communication technologies, as Internet and mobile phone, to post, send or share content that is harmful or humiliating to oneself. The first objective of this study was to examine the prevalence of different forms of digital self-harm among adolescents. The second objective was to analyze the motivations to engage in digital self-harm using, to this end, a qualitative methodology of content analysis. The sample of this study was composed of 794 participants (50.6% women) between 12 and 18 years (M = 14.29 y DT = 1.64). The 7.9% of the adolescents recognized having caused some physical damage and posting it on the Internet and 3.8% having published the photos of the self-harm on the Internet. The main motivations for engaging in digital self-harm were: 1) doing it as an expression of distress; 2) seeking relief; 3) looking for others' attention and understanding; 4) see the reaction of others; 5) because they considered that it was funny; and 6) because others do it or it is "a fad". The results suggest that we are facing a worrying problem that needs to be better investigated

Interacción entre diferentes factores cognitivos en la predicción de los síntomas de depresión / Interaction between different cognitive factors in the prediction of depressive symptoms

Este estudio examinó un modelo etiológico de los síntomas de depresión en adolescentes, según el cual la relación predictiva entre las inferencias negativas (causas, consecuencias y self) y los síntomas de depresión estaba moderada por los esquemas disfuncionales tempranos. Este estudio examinó si los esquemas de los dominios de desconexión y rechazo y orientación a los demás acentuarían la vulnerabilidad a los síntomas de depresión tras la realización de inferencias negativas sobre eventos estresantes sociales. Así mismo, se evaluó si los esquemas del dominio de autonomía deteriorada y rendimiento interactuarían con las inferencias negativas sobre eventos estresantes de rendimiento para predecir incrementos en síntomas de depresión. Un total de 1184 participantes (54% chicos) con edades entre 13 y 17 completaron las medidas de esquemas disfuncionales tempranos e inferencias negativas en la línea base y síntomas de depresión en la línea base y en el seguimiento de seis meses. Los análisis de moderación muestran que los dominios de esquemas de naturaleza social aumentaron la relación predictiva entre inferencias negativas sobre eventos estresantes sociales y síntomas de depresión

This study examined an etiological model of depressive symptoms in adolescents, according to which the predictive association between negative inferences and symptoms was moderated by early maladaptive schemas. The study examined if the schemas of disconnection, rejection and other-directedness accentuate the vulnerability to depression after making negative inferences about social stressors. It was further evaluated if the impaired autonomy and performance domain schemas interact with negative inferences about achievement stressors to predict an increase in the symptoms of depression. The participants were 1184 adolescents (54% boys, 13 to 17 years of age), who completed measures of early maladaptive schemas and negative inferences in the baseline, and depressive symptoms in the baseline and at six-month follow-up. Moderation analyses show that the schema domains of social nature increase the predictive association between negative inferences about social stressors and depression