Online aggression: a reflection of in-person victimization or a unique phenomenon?

摘要

Bullying is an age-old phenomenon. In 1904, Stanley G. Hall, the first president of the American Psychological Association, described bullying behaviors in his book chapter, "Juvenile faults, immoralities, and crimes [1]." In 1945,50% of sixth-grade boys in Rose Zeligs' study cited bullying as "an annoying social factor [2]." Times have changed and, although bullying remains, its character has changed as well. Young people today live as much in the virtual world as in the "real world." Aggression experienced remotely may be just as upsetting as aggression experienced in person, especially because the victimization may be "witnessed" by hundreds of peers. The analysis by Mitchell et al [3 ] in this issue of the Journal of Adolescent Health contributes to a growing body of research that seeks to understand the differences and similarities between in-person and virtual aggression.