Article ; Online: The Impact of COVID-19 and Exposure to Violent Media Content on Cyber Violence Victimization Among Adolescents in South Korea: National Population-Based Study.
Journal of medical Internet research
2024 Volume 26, Page(s) e45563
Abstract: Background: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent stay-at-home mandates, adolescents faced isolation and a decline in mental health. With increased online activity during this period, concerns arose regarding exposure to violent media content ... ...
Abstract | Background: Because of the COVID-19 pandemic and consequent stay-at-home mandates, adolescents faced isolation and a decline in mental health. With increased online activity during this period, concerns arose regarding exposure to violent media content and cyber victimization among adolescents. Yet, the precise influence of pandemic-related measures on experiences of cyber violence remains unclear. Hence, it is pertinent to investigate whether the pandemic altered the dynamics of cyber violence victimization for individuals. Objective: This study aims to investigate the effects of COVID-19 and exposure to violent media content on cyber violence victimization among adolescents in South Korea. Methods: We used national survey data from 2019 (n=4779) and 2020 (n=4958) to investigate the potential impact of COVID-19 on the prevalence of cyber violence among young adolescents. The data encompassed responses from elementary fourth-grade students to senior high school students, probing their exposure to violent media content, average internet use, as well as experiences of victimization and perpetration. Results: The analysis revealed a noteworthy decline in cyber victimization during 2020 compared with 2019 (B=-0.12, t=-3.45, P<.001). Furthermore, being a perpetrator significantly contributed to cyber victimization (B=0.57, t=48.36, P<.001). Additionally, younger adolescents (β=-.06, t=-6.09, P<.001), those spending more time online (β=.18, t=13.83, P<.001), and those exposed to violent media (β=.14, t=13.89, P<.001) were found to be more susceptible to victimization. Conclusions: Despite the widespread belief that cyber violence among adolescents surged during COVID-19 due to increased online activity, the study findings counter this assumption. Surprisingly, COVID-19 did not exacerbate cyber victimization; rather, it decreased it. Given the strong correlation between cyber victimization and offline victimization, our attention should be directed toward implementing real-life interventions aimed at curbing violence originating from in-person violence at school. |
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MeSH term(s) | Humans ; Adolescent ; Cyberbullying ; Pandemics ; COVID-19/epidemiology ; Violence/psychology ; Crime Victims/psychology ; Bullying ; Republic of Korea/epidemiology |
Language | English |
Publishing date | 2024-03-22 |
Publishing country | Canada |
Document type | Journal Article |
ZDB-ID | 2028830-X |
ISSN | 1438-8871 ; 1438-8871 |
ISSN (online) | 1438-8871 |
ISSN | 1438-8871 |
DOI | 10.2196/45563 |
Database | MEDical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System OnLINE |
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