Effect of physical activity levels and physical self-concept in bullying and cyberbullying: A systematic review
Abstract
The present paper conducted a systematic review to examine the scientific evidence on the effect of bullying and cyberbullying on physical activity practice and physical self-concept. Following the PRISMA methodology, 4 databases—PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and EBSCO—were consulted, obtaining a total of 157 studies. After the process, 20 studies involving 213,197 participants (46.4% males and 53.6% females) were included. The average prevalence was 21.9% for bullying and 13.7% for cyberbullying. Most studies found that increased physical activity practice, especially vigorous activity with high levels of enjoyment, reduced the likelihood of being a victim of bullying and cyberbullying. However, certain types of activities, such as football and athletics, showed a higher propensity for bullying behaviors. Regarding physical self-concept, being overweight, obese, or having a negative body perception was associated with increased victimization by bullying and cyberbullying. Regular physical activity can contribute to a positive physical self-concept and intrinsic motivation towards exercise. In conclusion, regular practice of physical activity, especially of vigorous intensity, appears to have a protective effect against bullying and cyberbullying, while a negative physical self-concept may increase the risk of victimization.
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References
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The works and papers that are published in this Journal are subject to the following terms:
1. The Publication Service of the University of Murcia (the publisher) has the Publication Rights (Copyright) to the published papers and works, and favors and permits the reusing of the same under the license indicated in point 2.
© Servicio de Publicaciones, Universidad de Murcia, 2013
2. The papers and works are to be published in the digital edition of the Journal under the license Creative Commons Reconocimiento-No Comercial-Sin Obra Derivada 3.0 España (legal text). The copying, using, spreading, transmitting and publicly displaying of the papers, works or publication are permitted as long as: i) the authors and original sources (Journal, publisher and URL of the publication) are quoted; ii) it is not used for commercial benefit; iii) the existence and specifications of this users license are mentioned.
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