Unravelling adolescent perceptions: profiles of victims and offenders in cyber interpersonal abuse

Cyber interpersonal abuse refers to the detrimental and harmful behaviours that occur within digital communication platforms, encompassing a wide range of negative interactions such as cyber dating abuse, cyberbullying, online harassment, stalking, and various other forms of online aggression. This chapter investigates the nuanced perspectives of adolescents concerning cyber interpersonal abuse, with a particular focus on the profiling of both victims and offenders. Fifteen focus groups were held to collect data, with 108 adolescents, 42 boys and 66 girls, aged between 11 and 15 years (M= 12.87; SD=0.31). The findings unveil adolescents' perceptions of cyber interpersonal abuse, depicting a female victim and a male aggressor profile. The results underscore a nuanced understanding of the dynamics, emphasizing gender complexities. This chapter aims to enhance comprehension of the intricacies of interpersonal cyber interpersonal abuse among adolescents. Additionally, it discusses preventive strategies and outlines future research challenges.