The presentation of the volume, with data and insights, will be held in Domagnano on January 16th.
Of the 937 middle and high school students aged 10 to 17 who participated in a study by the University of the Republic of San Marino between October and December 2023, 15% "had experienced cyberbullying." This is reported in the book "Adolescents between the Digital World, School and the Future," which will be presented on Friday, January 16th at 17:30 PM in the Montelupo Hall in Domagnano.
The analysis, conducted by the Department of Human Sciences at the University of San Marino and published by FrancoAngeli, shows that "16,2% of participants" reported engaging in cyberbullying behavior, specifically "insults and offenses in online games," at least once. Meanwhile, "9,6% reported very frequent incidents, more than once a week." Excluding or ignoring "someone on a social network or in a chat" was done, occasionally, by 22,7% of those interviewed.
Saying unpleasant or offensive things about someone over the internet or text messages is relatively common, with 20,8% saying they've done it at least once. However, more serious behaviors like stealing personal information or creating fake accounts are much less common, with over 94% saying they've never engaged in these actions.
The volume, which aims to be a survey of student well-being, broadens its perspective by examining, among other things, ways to help young people acquire skills useful in addressing the psychological and social challenges of adolescence and social media use. It also pays particular attention to school refusal, which involves "reluctance" to attend school, often accompanied by significant absence, motivated by emotional distress related to academic or social situations." The focus is on "various aspects of daily life," such as "communication with parents, peer relationships," and "concerns about the future."
The book was edited by Alberto Amadori, a research fellow at the Free University of Bolzano, and Alberto Righi, a doctoral student in Didactics and Special Pedagogy at the University of Macerata. The presentation on January 16th will feature Luigi Guerra, director of the Department of Human Sciences at the University of San Marino, researcher Silvia Stefanelli, and Antonella Brighi, professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Free University of Bolzano. A speech by the Secretary of State for Education and Culture, Teodoro Lonfernini, is also scheduled.
"Social media," the text continues, "currently represent a fundamental element in adolescents' lives, influencing their communication, learning, and the development of emotional and social relationships." The research "aims to examine whether problematic digital media use and peer pressure on social networks can impact adolescents' perceptions of school."