Cyberbullying and Executive Functions in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Abstract

Cyberbullying, understood as bullying behavior through technologies, has become one of the most frequent psychosocial problems during childhood and adolescence. The brain mechanisms involved in the appearance of aggressive behaviors demonstrate the existence of a relationship between bullying and Executive Functioning. The aim of this research was to perform a systematic review of published studies relating cyberbullying and Executive Functioning (EF) in children and adolescents. A systematic review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) review guide. The information search was carried out in the Web of Science (WOS), Scopus, and Psycinfo databases. The selection of papers consisted of 32 articles that met the inclusion criteria. The studies analyzed indicate that there is a moderate relationship between a specific EF profile and being involved in a cyberbullying situation. The results reveal that a lower capacity for inhibition, self-control and problem-solving may lead minors to participate as cybervictims, cyberaggressors or cyberaggressors-victimized. The findings are discussed considering the importance of executive functioning in cyberbullying prevention and intervention.

Key words: cyberbullying, Executive Functioning, systematic review, childhood, adolescence