Emotional Intelligence, Bullying, and Cyberbullying in Adolescents

• Published in: International journal of environmental research and public health Vol. 16; no. 23; p. 4837
• Main Authors: Méndez, Inmaculada, Jorquera, Ana Belén, Ruiz-Esteban, Cecilia, Martínez-Ramón, Juan Pedro, Fernández-Sogorb, Aitana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 02.12.2019; MDPI
• Subjects: Adaptation, Psychological; Adolescent; Adolescent Behavior - psychology; Aggressiveness; Behavior; Bullying - psychology; Child; Crime Victims - psychology; Crime Victims - statistics & numerical data; Cross-Sectional Studies; Cyberbullying; Cyberbullying - psychology; Education; Emotional Intelligence; Emotions; Empathy; Families & family life; Female; Humans; Male; Prevention; Questionnaires; School violence; Schools; Secondary education; Stress; Students; Surveys and Questionnaires; System theory; Systematic review; Teenagers; Victimization; Violence; Spain; adolescence; cyberaggression; emotional intelligence; disruptive behavior; bullying
• ISSN: 1660-4601; 1661-7827; 1660-4601
• DOI: 10.3390/ijerph16234837

Bullying and cyberbullying are important global issues with negative consequences for physical and mental health in education. The objective of this study was to analyze to what extent some dimensions of emotional intelligence predict certain manifestations of bullying and cyberbullying in adolescents. The total number of subjects recruited in compulsory secondary education schools, was 309 (53.1% female). Their ages ranged from 12 to 16 (M = 14.17, SD = 1.4). The used instruments were the school violence questionnaire and the emotional coefficient inventory; the study design was cross-sectional. Results showed that the score increases on some scales (adaptability, stress management, and interpersonal) involved a greater risk of increasing the likelihood of social perception the different manifestations of school violence. However, in the general mood, the increase in this variable score implied lower perceiving in likelihood of violent behavior. It is important to take into account preventive actions aimed at improving school life and, above all, to alleviate difficulties in managing stress, adaptability, and interpersonal relationships.