Associations between depressive symptomatology and Internet harassment among young regular Internet users

Ybarra, Michele. (2003, April).  Associations between depressive symptomatology and Internet harassment among young regular Internet users. Presented at Delta Omega, Johns Hopkins School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD.

Summary:

The odds of reporting any unwanted harassment online in the previous year is more than 3.5 times higher for youth reporting DSM IV major depressive-like symptoms compared to mild or no symptoms.

38% of youth reporting major depressive-like symptoms were distressed by the incident, compared to 21% of youth reporting mild or no symptoms.

Among young, regular Internet users, after adjusting for other significant characteristics:

- Internet usage characteristics, including average daily Internet use and harassing others online, are significantly related to the odds of reporting Internet solicitation for both males and females.

- Males that report being the target of in-person victimization are more than 3 times as likely to report being the target of online harassment.

- Females of Hispanic ethnicity are almost 3 times as likely as otherwise similar females of non-Hispanic ethnicity to report Internet harassment.

Download PDF here