Sex differences in cyberbullying behavior and victimization and perceived parental control before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

This study explores the associations between social media user sex and cyberbullying and victimization before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Parental control was examined as a possible moderator of these associations, and time spent online as a mediator during the pandemic. A sample of 5658 fourth to twelfth graders (48% girls; age M = 13.32 SD: 2.12) answered an online survey investigating their use of digital tools and their perception of parental control before and during the pandemic. Girls were engaged more often in cyberbullying than boys during the pandemic, while boys were more often cybervictimised than girls during the pre-pandemic period. Mediation and moderated-moderation regression models revealed that social media user sex was associated with cyberbullying and cybervictimization during the pandemic and also with cybervictimization before the pandemic. Parental control was a protective factor against cyberbullying for boys both before and during the pandemic: during the pandemic this protective effect worked through the amount of time spent online. The study findings have been interpreted based on the differences between boys and girls in social media use and digital tools and in parental control of online activity.