Ethnic, Cultural, and Religious Inequalities in Adolescent Cyberbullying: A Critical Approach

José Manuel Ortriz-Marcos; Ana Isabel Invernon Gómez; Marta Medina-García; Lina Higueras Rodríguez

doi:10.6018/rie.677311

Authors

José Manuel Ortriz-Marcos Universidad de Granada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4309-2553
Ana Isabel Invernon Gómez Universidad de Zaragoza https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5339-0282
Marta Medina-García Universidad de Granada https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0520-3635
Lina Higueras Rodríguez Universidad de Granada https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4458-7339

DOI: https://doi.org/10.6018/rie.677311

Keywords: digital harassment, ethnic diversity, adolescence, cultural diversity

Supporting Agencies

Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades

Abstract

The study "From Cyber-Victim to Cyber-Aggressor" analyses the relationship between digital victimisation and aggression in adolescents, with a special focus on ethnic, religious, and cultural variables. The study sample comprises 1,478 secondary-school students from southern Spain, who were surveyed using a validated questionnaire to measure their experiences of cyberbullying from an intercultural perspective. The results reveal that belonging to an ethnic or religious minority significantly increases the risk of being a victim or aggressor in digital environments. The Roma, Armenian, and Mongolian ethnic groups, as well as religions such as Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism, are associated with greater exposure to cyberviolence. The study also confirms that being a victim of cyberbullying increases the likelihood of adopting aggressive behaviours, reinforcing the hypothesis of the cycle of digital violence. This phenomenon is exacerbated by factors such as institutional invisibility, the code of silence among adolescents, and the "Coliseum effect," which multiplies the emotional damage by making aggressive content go viral. Statistical analysis, using structural equation models and chi-square, showed significant associations between culture, ethnicity, and religion with the roles of victim and aggressor. The model presented moderate predictive power (R² = 0.248), confirming that cybervictimisation is a key factor in the emergence of cyberbullying behaviours. In conclusion, the study analyses the pressing need to implement intercultural educational policies, technological prevention tools, and an intersectional approach to combat digital violence among adolescents from an inclusive perspective.

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