What do parents think about cyberbullying? A systematic review of qualitative studies

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a psychosocial phenomenon that generates harmful consequences for children and adolescents and family involvement is essential to address it. The objective of this review is to analyze the research findings of parents' and caregivers' perspectives on cyberbullying. The search was carried out in the Scopus, Web of Science, PsycArticles and EBSCO databases using the PRISMA statement for systematic reviews and meta-analyses, initially yielding 419 articles, from which 12 were selected. The characteristics of the research were analyzed and the themes of the main findings were identified and grouped based on the principles of thematic analysis. The results indicate that most of the studies were conducted in North American and European countries and involved a higher percentage of women. The studies reviewed provide valuable information on parents' knowledge of different aspects of the problem, such as the existing gap in the knowledge and use of Information and Communication Technologies by adults and children and adolescents. The parents' accounts also focus on parental strategies for the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying, their children's motives for getting involved in these situations, and the barriers to seeking help from children and adolescents in the face of this problem. Their opinions also highlight the need for parents and caregivers to receive support to understand and address this phenomenon. In addition, suggestions for future research presented in the analyzed articles were identified, emphasizing the need to continue carrying out studies that incorporate parents and other family members as participants, since they are key actors in the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying in children and adolescents.

Keywords: cyberbullying, parents, caregivers, qualitative research, systematic review.