Cyberbullying among Adolescents: Psychometric Properties of the CYB-AGS Cyber-Aggressor Scale

Sofia Buelga, Javier Postigo, Belén Martínez-Ferrer, María-Jesús Cava and Jessica Ortega-Barón
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Sofia Buelga: Department of Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Javier Postigo: Faculty of Psychology, University of Malaga, Bulevar Louis Pasteur, 25, 29010 Málaga, Spain
Belén Martínez-Ferrer: Department of Education and Social Psychology, University Pablo Olavide, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
María-Jesús Cava: Department of Social Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Valencia, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 21, 46010 Valencia, Spain
Jessica Ortega-Barón: Faculty of Education, International University of la Rioja (UNIR), Avenida de la Paz, 137, 26006 Logroño, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 9, 1-15

Abstract: The present study aims to analyze the psychometric properties of the revised version of the Adolescent Cyber-Aggressor scale (CYB-AGS). This scale is composed of 18 items that measure direct and indirect cyberbullying. A cross-sectional study was conducted using two independent samples of adolescents. The first sample included 1318 adolescents (52.6% girls) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 13.89, SD = 1.32). The second sample included 1188 adolescents (48.5% boys) from 12 to 16 years old (M = 14.19, SD = 1.80). First, to study the psychometric properties of the CYB-AGS, exploratory factor analysis was performed on Sample 1. Results indicated a two-factor structure: direct cyber-aggression and indirect cyber-aggression. Second, to verify the structure of the CYB-AGS, we selected Sample 2 to conduct confirmatory factor analysis and test the scale’s convergent validity with theoretically-related measures. Results confirmed the reliability and validity of the two-dimensional model. Moreover, measurement invariance was established. Finally, regarding convergent validity, positive correlations were obtained between cyberbullying and aggressive behaviors in school, anger expression, negative attitudes towards school, and transgression of norms. Furthermore, negative correlations were found between cyberbullying and attitudes towards institutional authority.

Keywords: cyber-aggression; scale development; reliability; validity; adolescence (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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