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Association Among Television and Computer/Video Game Use, Victimization, and Suicide Risk Among U.S. High School Students
Abstract
With the increasing popularity of mobile Internet devices, the exposure of adolescents to media has significantly increased. There is limited information about associations between the types and frequency of media use and experiences of violence victimization and suicide risk. The current study sought to examine the association of bullying and teen dating violence (TDV) victimization, suicide risk with different types of media use (i.e., television and computer/video game use), and number of total media use hours per school day. Data from the nationally representative 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n = 15,624) were used to examine the association between media use and violence victimization and suicide risk. Logistic regression models generated prevalence ratios adjusted for demographic characteristics and substance use behaviors to identify significant associations between media use and victimization and suicide risk, stratified by gender. Media use was associated with TDV victimization for male students only, while media use was related to experiences of bullying and suicide risk for both male and female students. In addition, limited (2 or fewer hours) and excessive (5 or more hours) media use emerged as significant correlates of suicide risk and bullying victimization, with limited media use associated with decreased risk and excessive media use with increased risk. Comprehensive, cross-cutting efforts to prevent different forms of victimization should take into account media use and its potential association with adolescent victimization and suicide risk. The current study results suggest limiting adolescent media use, as part of comprehensive prevention programming, might relate to reductions in risk for victimization and suicide.
... Excessive electronics and media use has been linked to an increase in depressive symptoms in adolescents [33], with additional studies highlighting that excessive daily consumption of television, computer usage, and video games were powerful predictors of suicide among adolescents [4,34]. More specifically, one study examined "suicide pacts" (i.e., suicidal adolescents who commit to suicide with other suicidal adolescents) and media contagion effects (i.e., the popularizing of suicide through media) as possible links between electronics/media use and suicide [35]. ...
... Responses were coded as 0 for "none," 1 for "less than 1 hour," 2 for "1 hour per day," 3 for "2 hours per day," 4 for "3 hours per day," 5 for "4 hours per day," and 6 for "more than 5 hours per day." This variable has been used in other studies investigating suicide among adolescents [34]. ...
... It is possible that this variable may have the potential to be both detrimental and beneficial to adolescent well-being. For example, while one study found a link between electronics and social media use (using the same YRBS variable) and suicide risk [34], other studies have found that social media can act as a medium for social support, particularly for LGB adolescents [65] and those who are in the stages of coming out [66]. It is also possible that there may be some overlap between electronics use and online bullying-a potential correlation that may have limited the effects of the electronics use variable. ...
Few studies have focused on within-group heterogeneity about specific factors that make lesbian, gay, or bisexual (LGB) Latinx adolescents at greater odds than other LGB adolescents for suicide We take a unique mixture-modeling approach by creating profiles of Latinx LGB adolescents based on suicide risk factors used in previous investigations (bullying, alcohol, sleep, social media, and poor grades). We use these profiles in a logistic regression to investigate suicidality A sample of 686 LGB, Latinx adolescents were used in a latent profile analysis yielding four distinct profiles. Class 4 represented the highest risk, with high rates of bullying, alcohol, poor grades, and use of electronics, while class 3 represented the lowest risk with low rates of bullying and alcohol Results speak to the need to address suicidal ideation through multiple factors, noting the strong association that both bullying and alcohol have with suicidal ideation.
... The results were categorized according to the number of hours in the sitting position: Adolescents with o3 hours were considered as not exhibiting sedentary risk behaviors (grouped response: ''o1 hour/day'' and ''1-2 hours/day''), or other grouped response options: X3 hours corresponding to sedentary risk behaviors). This cutoff was chosen because other studies had previously used it, which would facilitate comparisons (8,(12)(13)(14)(15)23). ...
... The covariates were age, food insecurity, eating habits, physical activity, bullying, presence of friends, and body mass index (BMI). These variables were chosen because they had been considered as confounding variables in previous studies on both sedentary and suicidal behaviors (8,23). ...
... In the present study, among female adolescents suicidal ideation was present in 22.7% of the sample, while suicidal planning and attempts were each present in 16.3%, during the past 12 months. In studies conducted in the United States and Southeast Asian countries, female suicidal ideation ranged from 15.1%-23.4% (12)(13)23), suicidal planning was 19.4%, and suicidal attempts were between 9.1% and 11.6% during the past 12 months (13,23). In a study conducted in 18 sub-Saharan African countries the median estimate of 12-month prevalence of self-harm was 16.9% in adolescents and adults (aged 10-25 years) (27). ...
OBJECTIVES:
To verify the association between suicidal behaviors (ideation, planning, and attempts) and sedentary behaviors among adolescents from four Latin American and Caribbean countries.
METHODS:
A cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted in four countries in Latin America and the Caribbean (Bahamas, Curação, El Salvador, and Guatemala). The sample comprised 6,813 adolescents aged 11-18 years, of which, 3,559 were females. The three suicidal behaviors considered were ideation, planning, and attempts. Sedentary behavior was regarded as the time that adolescents spent sitting, excluding time at school. Crude and adjusted logistic regression were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).
RESULTS:
Suicidal ideation was present in 10.7% of males and 22.7% of females. Suicidal planning was present in 8.6% of males and 16.3% of females. Suicidal attempt was present in 9.3% of males and 16.3% of females. Sedentary behavior was present in 39.6% of males and 45.7% of females. It was identified that male adolescents who reported spending ≥3 hours/day in sedentary behavior were more likely to have suicidal ideation (OR: 1.42; 95% CI: 1.13-1.80), whereas female adolescents who reported spending ≥3 hours/day in sedentary behavior were more likely to have suicidal ideation (OR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.30-1.83), planning (OR: 1.54; 95% CI: 1.28-1.86), and attempts (OR: 1.31; 95% CI: 1.09-1.57).
CONCLUSION:
Adolescents of both sexes who reported spending ≥3 hours/day in sedentary behaviors were more likely to have some suicidal behaviors than those who spent less time in sedentary behaviors.
... referring to physical abuse behaviors, verbal or weight-teasing, psychological abuse and social exclusion) and five in cyberbullying (i.e. texting, emails, social network sites) [22,26,30,33,34]. ...
... In contrast, screen-based activities favor loneliness [12]. For example, more screen time such as play video game seems to compromise youth development of interpersonal skills hence making them vulnerable to all forms of bullying [33]. Regarding electronic bullying victimization, both male and female youths could be exposed to cyberbullying through social media consuming during computer use [33]. ...
... For example, more screen time such as play video game seems to compromise youth development of interpersonal skills hence making them vulnerable to all forms of bullying [33]. Regarding electronic bullying victimization, both male and female youths could be exposed to cyberbullying through social media consuming during computer use [33]. Socio-economic factors seem to be related with bullying prevalence. ...
Background: Physical activity and sedentary behavior are related with psycho-social variables among youth, however its relationship with bullying victimization is unclear. The aim of the study was to clarify the associations between physical activity and sedentary behaviors with bullying victimization among children and adolescents.
Methods: Two independent authors searched in four databases. The studies were selected/included only if participants were children and/or adolescents and the relationship between physical activity and/or sedentary behavior with bullying victimization was reported. Random-effects meta-analyses were used.
Results: A total of 18 cross-sectional studies (including 386,740 children and adolescents, 51.8% females) were reviewed. Our study found that not meeting the physical activity guidelines (Odds Ratio [OR]=1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.23) and excessive sedentary behavior (i.e., 2 hours per day or more of screen time) (OR=1.21, 95% CI, 1.14 to 1.28) were associated with 14% and 21% higher bullying victimization, respectively. Consistent associations were also found when we analyzed specific forms of bullying for sedentary behavior, including traditional and cyberbullying.
Conclusions: The present study establishes the first quantitative framework for understanding the influence of physical activity and sedentary behavior on bullying victimization, and lays the groundwork for future studies and interventions aimed to its promotion.
... The disagreements were usually concerned with whether articles investigating gaming, but not problem gaming, should be included, in which only articles investigating problem gaming ended up being included. The following studies may appear to meet the inclusion criteria based on their titles: Ferguson & Smith (2021), Förtsch et al. (2021), Gauthier et al. (2014), Messias et al. (2011), Mitchell et al. (2015, Rostad et al. (2021), and Teismann et al. (2014). Five of these seven studies were excluded because they did not measure problem gaming specifically, only gaming in general. ...
... Five of these seven studies were excluded because they did not measure problem gaming specifically, only gaming in general. The other two (Messias et al., 2011;Rostad et al., 2021), were excluded because they did not assess the association between gaming (or problem gaming) and suicidality but the association between total internet use/screen time (including gaming) and suicidality. The data extraction process resulted in a percentage agreement of 98%. ...
Background
No studies have so far synthesised the current evidence concerning a possible relationship between problem gaming and suicidality. We therefore conducted a systematic review of the literature. Our objective was to investigate the relationship between problem gaming and suicidality. The review was funded by the Norwegian Competence Center for Gambling and Gaming Research.
Methods
The review was pre-registered in PROSPERO International prospective register of systematic reviews (CRD42021279774). Searches were conducted in Web of Science, PsycINFO, EMBASE, PubMed and Google Scholar, September 2021. Studies that reported data on the relationship between problem gaming and suicidality, published between 2000 and 2021, and written in any European language were included. Studies investigating internet addiction/problematic internet use and not problem gaming, specifically, and studies investigating mental health in general or mental health outcomes other than suicidality, were excluded. Data from the included studies were extracted independently by two coders who also evaluated for risk of bias using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. The results from each included study were presented in a table.
Results
A total of 12 cross-sectional studies, with in total 88,732 participants, were included in the review. In total 10 studies investigated the association between problem gaming and suicidal ideation. One of these also investigated the association between problem gaming and suicide attempts. Two studies combined suicidal ideation and suicide attempts into one variable and investigated the association between that variable and problem gaming. In total 11 of the 12 included studies found positive, crude associations between problem gaming and suicidal ideation/attempts. Five studies adjusted for possible confounding variables. Three of these still found significant associations between problem gaming and suicidal ideation, one found a positive but not statistically significant association, and the fifth found an inverse, non-significant association.
Discussion
The current findings indicate that there is an association between problem gaming and suicidal ideation, and likely between problem gaming and suicide attempts. The most important limitation of the included studies is the lack of longitudinal designs. Future studies should aim to investigate the causality and mechanisms in the relationships using more stringent designs.
... Physical inactivity among youth is predictive of a wide range of health problems and detrimental well-being (Committee PAGA, 2018; Poitras et al., 2016). To date, only few studies have explicitly examined physical activity and sedentary behavior as a risk factor of bullying victimization, and findings from these studies have been mixed (Demissie et al., 2014;Hertz et al., 2015;Kelishadi et al., 2014;Merrill and Hanson, 2016;Peltzer and Pengpid, 2016;Roman and Taylor, 2013;Rostad et al., 2018;Rudatskira et al., 2014). Recently, data from the nationally representative 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 15 624 US adolescents suggestthat excessive media use emerged as significant correlates of bullying victimization https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.04.065 ...
... Recently, data from the nationally representative 2015 Youth Risk Behavior Survey in 15 624 US adolescents suggestthat excessive media use emerged as significant correlates of bullying victimization https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2020.04.065 Received 6 February 2020; Received in revised form 28 April 2020; Accepted 29 April 2020 (Rostad et al., 2018). In contrast, Hertz et al. (2015) reported that excessive television watching was associated with bullying victimization in male adolescents, but not physical activity or another forms of sedentary behaviors. ...
Background: In this study we aimed to provide a global perspective of the association between different lifestyle behaviors and bullying in school adolescents and to ascertain whether or not the Human Development Index moderated those associations.
Methods: Data from the Global school-based Student Health Survey were analyzed in 273 121 from 82 countries. Logistic regression was applied to determine country-specific bullying victimization probability from meeting the recommended guidelines for physical activity, excessive sitting time, physical education attendance and active transport. Meta-analysis was then undertaken to ascertain pooled global effect estimates of the relationship between these behaviors and bullying victimization. Linear regression was used to study the relationship between odds of bullying from meeting the lifestyle guidelines and the Human Development Index.
Results: Our estimates indicate that excessive sitting time [1.38 (1.34,1.41)], attendance to physical education [0.87 (0.85,0.89)], and active transport [0.94 (0.91,0.97)] but not overall physical activity [1.01 (0.99,1.04)] were associated with bullying in the study sample.
Limitations: The present study is limited by its cross-sectional nature and only two were surveyed from the European region
Conclusions: Active commuting and attendance to physical education play a protective role for bullying, while physical activity does not.
... Few studies have examined if violent video game exposure leads to (cyber)bullying, and the findings of these studies are ambivalent. On the one hand, a growing body of research has found that a longer duration of violent online video game play is linked to a higher frequency of bullying (e.g., Anderson et al., 2010;Dittrick et al., 2013;Ferguson, San Miguel, & Hartley, 2009) and cyberbullying perpetration behaviors (e. g., Den Hamer & Konijn, 2015;Lam et al., 2013;Li & Pustaka, 2017;Rostad, Basile, & Clayton, 2018). On the other hand, some studies have found that violent video game exposure does not significantly influence bullying behaviors (e.g., Ferguson & Colwell, 2018;, when multivariate factors (e.g., stress, trait aggression, and antisocial attitudes) are included in the regression model. ...
... These findings underscore the need to further examine whether there is a link between violent video game exposure and (cyber)bullying. Indeed, an increasing body of evidence suggests that exposure to violent video games may result in cyberbullying perpetration (e.g., Den Hamer & Konijn, 2015;Dittrick et al., 2013;Lam et al., 2013;Leung & McBride-Chang, 2013;Rostad et al., 2018;Zhu, Chu, Zhang, & Li, 2018). Online gaming is more competitive, and adolescents may face more aggression online than offline (e.g., Hollingdale & Greitemeyer, 2014). ...
Previous studies have shown that violent video game exposure is associated with aggression; however, little is known about the relationship between video game violence exposure and (cyber)bullying. Therefore, we examined the association between violent video game exposure and (cyber)bullying, and whether a risk factor (i.e., trait aggression) and protective factor (i.e., moral identity) moderate this relationship. Study 1 examined traditional bullying among 3707 adolescents (50.4% boys; Mage = 14.84 years, SD = 1.51), and Study 2 examined cyberbullying among 3610 college students (52.9% men; Mage = 19.48 years, SD = 1.40). The results showed that violent video game exposure was positively correlated with bullying and cyberbullying. Further, trait aggression and moral identity moderated this relationship. Specifically, this relationship was stronger among those with high vs. low levels of trait aggression, and weaker among those with high vs. low levels of moral identity. These results support the contentions of the General Aggression Model, suggesting that the interaction between situational and personal variables predicts (cyber)bullying. Thus, trait aggression and moral identity should be considered in prevention and intervention strategies that aim to attenuate bullying and cyberbullying perpetration.
... In García-Hermoso et al.'s (2020) recent meta-analytic review, youth who spent 2 hours or more per day on screens were associated with 21% higher victimization of cyber and traditional bullying. Rostad et al. (2018) suggest that increased screen time means less social interaction that allows youth to develop prosocial interpersonal skills. Screen time has also been found to have a direct effect on the development of antisocial behavior in young adults, with those engaging in more screen time saying that they prefer loneliness (Robertson et al., 2013). ...
We used a large state-wide sample of adolescent students in 8th, 10th, and 12th grades (N = 58,689) to examine the predictive value of screen time on bullying victimization, as well as its interaction with age by gender, including transgender and gender nonconforming identities. Participants were majority boys/men (52.3%), heterosexual (88.1%), and White (73.7%). Findings generally supported previous literature related to cisgender differences, but highlighted differences for transgender and gender nonconforming youth. While screen time and technology use, as well as development and maturation, appear to be important predictors of bullying victimization for cisgender students identifying as boys/men and girls/women, they did not predict bullying victimization for transgender or gender nonconforming youth. Results suggest we cannot assume previous bullying research on binary cisgender students will generalize to transgender and gender nonconforming youth. Practical implications for advancing bullying and victimization research with gender diverse students are outlined.
... As with other types of communities, virtual environments that allow for human interaction can place members at risk for exposure to adverse online experiences, now increasingly referred to by the video gaming industry as "disruptive behavior". Beyond the commonly referred to toxicity that can at times be encountered in some environments, "disruptive behaviors" also includes a subset of "harmful conducts" that can cause significant physical, mental or emotional harm [4], such as cyberbullying [88], sexual harassment [71], and underage sexting [28]. Online communities can also be used by some as a tool to facilitate offline violence, such as gang violence [65,85]. ...
Participation in communities is essential to individual mental and physical health and can yield further benefits for members. With a growing amount of time spent participating in virtual communities, it's increasingly important that we understand how the community experience manifests in and varies across these online spaces. In this paper, we investigate Sense of Virtual Community (SOVC) in the context of live-streaming communities. Through a survey of 1,944 Twitch viewers, we identify that community experiences on Twitch vary along two primary dimensions: belonging, a feeling of membership and support within the group, and cohesion, a feeling that the group is a well-run collective with standards for behavior. Leveraging the Social-Ecological Model, we map behavioral trace data from usage logs to various levels of the social ecology surrounding an individual user's participation within a community, in order to identify which of these can be associated with lower or higher SOVC. We find that features describing activity at the individual and community levels, but not features describing the community member's dyadic relationships, aid in predicting the SOVC that community members feel within channels. We consider implications for the design of live-streaming communities and for fostering the well-being of their members, and we consider theoretical implications for the study of SOVC in modern, interactive online contexts, particularly those fostering large-scale or pseudonymized interactions. We also explore how the Social-Ecological Model can be leveraged in other contexts relevant to Computer-Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW), with implications for future work.
... A prevalence of subthreshold depressive episodes defined as a symptom of depressed mood or loss of interest was 16.5% among adolescents in grades 9-11 (Crockett et al., 2020), which is approximately consistent with our study, as 46.4% of adolescents' network usage time for more than 2 h a day every weekend, 20.7% of adolescents' network usage time for more than 4 h, and 6.0% of adolescents' network usage time for more than 8 h. The USA Youth Risk Behavior Survey reported a ratio of 41.8% in adolescents playing computer games or using the internet for more than 3 h beside school work in 2015 (Rostad et al., 2021), as is in line with our study. More than one hour of social network usage was associated with adolescents' depression symptoms (Mundy et al., 2021), only aiming at social media, which is just a part of the internet usage evaluated. ...
Adolescent depression is becoming a public health problem. In this study the association between depressive symptoms and internet usage time in adolescents was examined, with data collected from the China Education Tracking Survey (CEPS). The survey is publicly available and carried out nationwide. A logistic regression analysis was conducted with odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI), the subgroup analysis examined the relationships between internet usage time and depressive symptoms. A total of 10705 adolescents were involved, where 46.4% of them are caught by the internet for more than two hours per day. Adolescents keeping on the internet for 6-8 hours per day were reported to have higher odds of depressive symptoms than adolescents who were free from it with the confounders of individual, family, and school adjusted, which were observed among groups with a medium family economic status without living with their father and with a sleep time less than nine hours. The results revealed that adolescents spending more time online had a higher risk of experiencing depression symptoms. This study suggested that it is helpful for mental health professionals to evaluate and develop prevention interventions for depressive symptoms in adolescents promptly through monitoring and managing online time.
... It has the potential for loneliness and isolation, increasing the risk of depression and SA risk behaviors that may be difficult for adults (parents or teachers) to perceive. For example, Rostad et al. recently found that intense use (5 hours or more) of screens (television, video games, computer) significantly exposed more SA to adolescents than limited use (2 hours or less) of screens 34 . The SEYLE study 35 shows that 29% of adolescents who watch television, surf a lot online and / or play video games more than 5 hours per day and sleep less than 6 hours per night have more SA. ...
Le suicide est la deuxième cause de décès à l'adolescence aux États-Unis et dans les pays européens dont la France, l'un des principaux risques de décès par suicide étant la présence d'antécédent(s) de tentative de suicide (TS). Les facteurs de risque connus de TS sont nombreux à l'adolescence en population générale. Les adolescents ayant une attirance homosexuelle et/ou bisexuelle (LGB) pourraient présenter davantage de stress, de stigmatisation et de pression que leurs pairs hétérosexuels. Cependant, les facteurs de risque et de protection possibles ont été peu explorés dans la littérature. Une meilleure connaissance de ces facteurs pourrait permettre de proposer des interventions adaptées. L'enquête française « Portraits d'adolescents », réalisée en 2013, apporte des données sur de nombreuses variables dont l'attirance sexuelle et la TS. Parmi les 14 265 adolescents, 637 (4,5%) se décrivent comme LGB. Parmi eux, 30,7 % rapportent avoir fait une TS (vs 10,6 % des adolescents hétérosexuels). Différents types de méthodes statistiques (test du Chi 2, modèle de régression logistique, modèle de machine learning decision tree) ont été réalisés pour comparer les groupes LGB et hétérosexuels et identifier les facteurs de risque ou de protection de TS. Nos différents modèles statistiques sont parvenus à des conclusions similaires. A la fois chez les adolescents LGB et hétérosexuels, la consommation de substances (alcool, tabac, cocaïne, ecstasy, amphétamine) apparait comme le facteur de risque le plus évident et le soutien parental comme le facteur de protection le plus important. Cependant, le soutien d'un ami rencontré sur Internet semble un facteur significatif de protection de TS seulement chez les jeunes homosexuels, alors qu'il s'agit du soutien d'un ami réel chez les jeunes hétérosexuels. Ainsi, il apparait essentiel de formuler des recommandations pour développer des outils pertinents incluant les pairs, les parents et les professionnels, dont le soutien joue un rôle essentiel. Des mesures de prévention doivent être élaborées et mises en oeuvre chez les jeunes des minorités sexuelles. Des interventions anti-stigmatisation au niveau sociétal sont nécessaires afin de réduire le risque de victimisation et sensibiliser l'entourage. Mots clefs : tentative de suicide, adolescent, minorité sexuelle, facteur de risque et protection, prévention-2-Abstract: Suicide remains the second leading cause of death in adolescence in the United States and European countries including France, one main risk of death by suicide is history of attempted suicide (SA). The known risk factors for SA are numerous in adolescence. Adolescents with homosexual or bisexual attraction (LGB) could experience more stress, stigma and pressure than their heterosexual peers. However, the possible risk and protective factors have not been fully explored in the literature. A better knowledge of these factors in LGB youth could help to propose appropriate prevention. The French survey "Portraits d'adolescents" (2013) includes many important variables including sexual attraction and SA. Among the 14,265 adolescents, 637 (4.5%) described themselves as LGB. 30.7% attempted suicide (vs. 10.6% of heterosexual adolescents). Different types of statistical methods (Chi-square test, logistic regression model, Machine Learning decision tree model) were carried out to compare LGB and heterosexual groups and to identify risk and protective factors for SA. Different statistical models have reached consistent conclusions. In both LGB and heterosexual youth, substance consumption (alcohol, tobacco, cocaine, ecstasy, amphetamine) is the highest risk factor and parental support is the most important protective factor for SA. However, internet friend support was reported as a protective factor only in homosexual youth, whereas support of real-life friend was an important factor only in heterosexual youth. Thus, it is essential to build recommendations in order to develop relevant tools including peers, parents and professionals, whose support plays a crucial role. Effective preventive measures among sexual minority youth need to be developed and implemented. Societal-level anti-stigma interventions are needed to reduce the risk of victimization and awareness should be raised among family and friends.
... Being physically active in the last 5 days was protective against suicidal ideation in both boys and girls, reducing the odds of suicidal thoughts by about half. Past researchers using data from the YRBS have reported that suicidality in high school students is associated with female sex (2, 4), sexual minority status (47)(48)(49), adverse childhood experiences (50, 51), physical teen dating violence (52), forced sexual intercourse (18,53), body weight perceptions [both overweight (54,55) and underweight (55)], illicit drug use (13,18), prescription opioid misuse (56)(57)(58) [especially in girls (59)], alcohol use (15,18,60,61), marijuana use (13,15,62), bullying (18,55,63,64) and cyberbullying (18,55,(63)(64)(65), frequent physical fighting (66), excessive television/video game/internet use (67,68), insufficient sleep (69), and even soft drink consumption (70). With so many variables being associated with suicidality in youth-especially given the very large national sample allowing the identification of statistically significant findings with small effect sizes-it is not particularly surprising that concussion was also associated in the present study, in univariate analyses, and in prior studies using the 2013 (45) and 2017 YRBS (41)(42)(43)46). ...
Importance
Prior research has shown a statistically significant association between sustaining a concussion and suicidality in adolescents, but this prior research controlled for relatively few variables predictive of suicidality.
Objective
To examine whether sustaining a concussion remained a significant predictor of suicidality after controlling for relevant covariates (e.g., sexual abuse/assault, bullying, substance use, depression), hypothesizing that the relationship between concussion and suicidality would become non-significant after controlling for these variables.
Design
This study involved secondary data analysis of the 2019 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance (YRBS) System, a national cross-sectional study of adolescents. Analyses were stratified by gender.
Setting
A national sampling of U.S. high school students.
Participants
Eleven thousand two hundred sixty-two students in the YRBS database, including 5,483 boys and 5,779 girls.
Exposure(s)
Participants included in the analyses reported whether, in the last year, they experienced a concussion and/or suicidality.
Main Outcomes and Measures
The main outcome was suicidality (i.e., ideation, planning, attempt), which was predicted by concussion in an unadjusted analysis and by concussion along with other risk factors in a multivariable analysis.
Results
The final sample included 11,262 participants with available data on concussion and suicidality in the last year (14–18 years-old; 51.3% girls; 49.0% White). Per unadjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals, there was a relationship between concussion and suicidal ideation [girls: OR = 1.46 (1.24, 1.73); boys: OR = 1.69 (1.41, 2.03)], planning (girls: OR = 1.39 [1.16, 1.66]; boys: OR = 1.76 [1.44, 2.14]), and attempt [girls: OR = 1.70 (1.32, 2.19); boys: OR = 3.13, (2.37, 4.15)]. These relationships became mostly non-significant after controlling for relevant risk factors for suicidality. The adjusted odds ratios showed no relationship between concussion and suicidal ideation [girls: OR = 1.11 (0.86, 1.44); boys: OR = 1.24 (0.92, 1.69)] or planning (girls: OR = 1.07 [0.82, 1.40]; boys: OR = 1.12 [0.82, 1.55]); but a significant relationship with suicide attempts in boys [OR = 1.98 (1.28, 3.04)], but not girls [OR = 1.05 (0.74, 1.49)].
Conclusions and Relevance
There was an association between concussion and suicidality in U.S. high school students; however, after controlling for other variables (e.g., depression, sexual abuse/assault, illicit drug use), there was no association between concussion and suicidality aside from a significant relationship between concussion and attempts in boys.
... The negative effects caused by improper use of electronic products have attracted many researchers' interest, who have found that playing games can result in psychological problems, which eventually leads to suicide-related behaviors among adolescents (27,28). For instance, Rostad et al. found that excessive media use is associated with an increased risk of suicide-related behaviors among high school students (29). Overall, our findings have added to existing knowledge, indicating an association between the screen-based risk factors (watching videos, computer games, or computer use) and suiciderelated behaviors. ...
Objective: The purpose of this research was to investigate the prevalence of lifestyle behaviors and suicide-related behaviors and the association between them using a nationally representative sample of adolescents from the USA.
Methods: 13,677 high school students aged 14-18 years were included in this cross-sectional study. The research data were retrieved from the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System Survey in 2019. All data on age, sex, grade, race, physical activity, television time, fruit intake, and suicide-related behavior were self-reported by students. Logistic regression models were adopted to examine the association between lifestyle behaviors and the suicide-related behaviors.
Results: Students who played video/computer games for ≥2 h had higher risk of suicide attempt (OR = 1.55, 95%CI: 1.30-1.85). Daily sleep duration of ≤8 h was positively associated with considering a suicide attempt (OR = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.62-2.43). In addition, participants who did not engage in any sport team were more likely to report considering a suicide attempt (OR = 1.50, 95%CI: 1.24-1.81).
Conclusion: This research suggests that some lifestyle behaviors (e.g., time for video or computer use, sleep duration, sports team participation, regular breakfast intake, and substance use) are associated with increased risk of suicidal behavior and ideation in high school students. To identify the specific effect of multiple lifestyle factors in influencing the risk of suicide-related behaviors in high school students, longitudinal studies are warranted in future.
... They found that 70% of adolescent boys aged 9-18 years prefer violent games and movies. Rostad, et al. (2021) showed a positive and significant correlation between the hours spent watching television and videos and the violent behavior of those students who devoted significantly more hours to television on weekdays and weekends. ...
Introduction: Brain Functional Performance is a collection of excellent mental processing that provides a framework for achieving goals based on targeted behaviors. Disorders in executive functions make it difficult for a person to perform everyday tasks. One of the phenomena that have been highlighted in various media is the violent phenomenon that adolescents welcome with the production of violent movies. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effect of violent movies on risky decision making and behavioral inhibition of adolescents and compare it with melodrama. Method: This study was conducted with a quasi-experimental pre-test-post-test with a control group among 60 adolescents in Tehran (30 girls and 30 boys) using the available sampling method. For this purpose, neurological tests of Iowa Gambling and Go-No Go were used. Findings: The results showed that violent movies caused a significant increase in risky decision making (P<0.05). In addition, these types of movies caused a significant decrease in behavioral inhibition among adolescents (P<0.05). Conclusion: Movies that have a rude story and content that glorifies violence harm adolescents' decision making and deterrence, leading them to make risky decisions and inadequate inhibition.
... В частности, причины суицидальной активности объясняются с социально-психологических позиций «суицидального заражения» личности в Интернет -пространстве [9], его влияния на аутодеструктивное поведение, приводящее к имитационным и подражательным самоубийствам [10]. В литературе описано достаточно наблюдений противоправной деятельности (делинквентности) [11] и случаев совершения самоубийств под влиянием компьютерных игр [12][13][14]. Однако не все исследователи согласны с прямой причинно-следственной связью видеоигры (их видами по жанрам, тематике и др.) и суицидального поведения [15]. Поэтому такие клинические случаи до настоящего времени представляют научно-практический интерес. ...
... Studies assessing participation in sedentary behaviors, especially TV and social media screen time, indicate greater risk for poor mental health and suicidal behaviors among adolescents (Rostad et al., 2018). In addition, increased engagement in sedentary behaviors during adolescence is associated with feeling less connected to parents and peers (Richards et al., 2010). ...
We used data from the 2017 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey to examine associations between physical activity, sedentary, and healthy dietary behaviors and indicators of mental health, suicidal thoughts, and suicidal attempts among a representative sample of US high school students. Sex-stratified logistic regression was used to separately model each mental health-related outcome on the health-related behaviors, while controlling for race/ethnicity, grade, and body weight status. Significant associations were found between insufficient physical activity, sedentary, and less healthy dietary behaviors and the mental health-related outcomes. Feeling sad and hopeless was associated with not eating breakfast on all 7 days (past week), drinking soda or pop (female only), not meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline (male only), not playing on at least one sports team, and playing video/computer games or using a computer more than two hours (per day). Suicidal thoughts were associated with not eating breakfast on all 7 days, drinking soda or pop, not meeting the aerobic physical activity guideline, and playing video/computer games or using a computer more than two hours. Attempted suicide was associated with not eating breakfast on all 7 days, drinking soda or pop, drinking sports drinks, watching television more than two hours, and playing video or computer games or using a computer more than two hours (male only). While limiting sedentary behaviors and increasing physical activity and healthy dietary behaviors is not a sole solution for improving mental health among adolescents, it could be another possible strategy used in schools to benefit all students.
... Social media use. Excessive social media use has been linked to an increase in depressive symptoms in youth [11], with additional studies highlighting excessive daily consumption of television, computer usage, and/or playing video games as strong predictors of suicide among adolescents [23]. Moreover, cyberbullying, "suicide pacts" (suicidal youth who commit to suicide with other suicidal youth), and media contagion effects (the popularizing of suicide through media [24]) are linked to increased suicide attempts. ...
Purpose
The purpose of the study was to identify profiles of lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) youth who are at risk for suicidal behavior.
Method
Data were collected through the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (N = 2,738). We used latent profile analysis to create identity profiles using variables associated with suicide, including bullying, alcohol use, poor grades, electronics use, and sleep hours.
Results
The LPA revealed a 6-class solution. Class 6 represented the highest risk profile with the highest scores in alcohol, bullying, poor grades, electronics use, and the least sleep and were 17 times more likely to attempt suicide compared to class 2 (the lowest-risk class). Classes 1, 3, 4, and 5 had a mixture of both high and low risk mean scores across the variables, with class 3 showing the strongest relationship to suicide (7 times more likely than class 2).
Conclusion
Because high-risk classes in our study had multiple factors contributing to associations to suicide, programming aimed at attenuating youth suicide among LGB youth may benefit from addressing multiple issues simultaneously (e.g., substance use and bullying). This would be a departure from more traditional programs for LGB youth which are predicated on one specific risk behavior, such as coping with bullying or substance use separately.
... 46 A large body of research in the world has indicated that an increase in the duration of the use of Android and video games would increase the rate of aggression. [47][48][49] The results of our study indicated that the area of residence in terms of the socioeconomic status has a significant relationship with aggression in the students, i.e., the prevalence of aggression in nonfavored and less-favored areas would be higher than favored areas. There were no statistically significant differences between aggression in non-favored and less-favored areas, which could be due to economic problems and poverty in families, as well as high levels of violence in areas with a low socioeconomic status. ...
Background: Aggression is the most significant psychopathological risk factor. It is a
multifaceted construct and can affect students’ social, mental and physical health. The present study was conducted to investigate factors associated with aggression among elementary school girls and boys using the theoretical framework of Social Cognitive Theory in Kermanshah city, Iran. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted on 900 students, including 445 girls and 455 boys, 563 parents and 104 elementary school teachers in the fourth, fifth and sixth educational grades in Kermanshah city in 2018. The proportionate stratified random sampling was used.
The Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument (APRI) was used to measure aggression. To measure the variables of social cognitive theory, a researcher-made questionnaire was used. Data analysis was conducted using descriptive and inferential statistics via the SPSS software.
Results: It was showed that 29% and 10% of the students had moderate and high levels of
aggression, respectively. Also, 30.6% of them were moderate victims and 45.6% were intense victims. Self-efficacy (p less than 0.001), perceived social norms (p=0.011), observational learning (p less than 0.001), outcome expectations (p=0.027), outcome expectancies (p=0.028) and perceived situational (p less than 0.001) were reported as the significant predictors of aggressive behaviors in the students based on the Social Cognitive Theory constructs. In total, they explained for 37.3% of changes in aggressive behaviors. Parents’ knowledge (p=0.005), parents’ attitude (p=0.012), teachers’ attitude (p less than 0.001), and teachers’ self-efficacy (p=0.021) had statistically significant relationships with aggression in the students.
Conclusions: Aggression among children and adolescents is getting alarmingly prevalent. The Social Cognitive Theory is the appropriate framework for the prediction of aggression
behaviors in children and adolescents. Therefore, designing and implementing educational interventions based on this theory can help with the management of aggression in children and adolescents.
RESUMO O artigo faz uma revisão da literatura empírica sobre mídia e violência nos últimos 10 anos. Realizada a filtragem conceitual e de robustez, a pesquisa foca em 182 artigos que analisaram os efeitos da exposição ao conteúdo violento. Embora com diferentes níveis de robustez, esta literatura traz evidências de que a exposição ao conteúdo violento traz diversos efeitos deletérios e duradouros, especialmente entre os jovens. Entre estes efeitos estão o comportamento agressivo, transtornos mentais, alterações cerebrais, piora no sono e alimentação e mudanças nas percepções. O texto procura documentar também quais políticas e fatores protetivos podem ser utilizados para atenuar estas externalidades negativas da exposição à mídia violenta. ABSTRACT The article reviews the empirical literature on media and violence over the last 10 years. After conceptual and robustness filtering, the research focuses on 182 articles that analyzed the effects of exposure to violent content. Although with different levels of robustness, this literature provides evidence that exposure to violent content has several deleterious and lasting effects, especially among young people. Among these effects are aggressive behavior, mental disorders, brain changes, worsening sleep and eating, and changes in perceptions. The text also seeks to document which policies and protective factors can be used to mitigate these negative externalities of exposure to violent media. SUMÁRIO
Background:
Bullying is a growing concern worldwide. However, there is insufficient research on the prevalence and factors associated with different forms of bullying in a large sample of Chinese adolescents. This study aims to investigate the prevalence and associated factors of bullying victimization among Chinese high school students.
Methods:
Data from the 2020-2021 cross-sectional survey of the DYH program were used. A total of 8203 high school students were randomly selected from all 17 cities in Shandong Province, China. Bullying victimization was measured using two separate questions and identified into three types: school bullying victims, cyberbullying victims, and combined bullying victims. The multinomial logit model was used to explore the factors related to bullying victimization.
Results:
The prevalence of bullying victimization was 11.59 %, with 4.04 % of school bullying, 3.37 % of cyberbullying, and 4.18 % of combined bullying. Smoking was negatively associated with bullying victimizations. Male, physical exercise, peer relationships, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms were significantly associated with school bullying victims and combined victims. Watching TV was an influencing factor for school bullying victims and cyberbullying victims. Single-child households, family economic status, drinking alcohol, parent-child relationships, and paranoia were correlated with different types of bullying victimization.
Limitations:
The cross-sectional design limited the examination of causal inferences.
Conclusion:
We should pay more attention to cyberbullying victimization, which has become as common as school bullying victimization among high school students. The associated factors explored in this study may contribute to understanding bullying victimizations and designing bullying intervention strategies among high school students in China.
Introducción: la exposición a la violencia afecta la salud mental. Sin embargo, existen pocos estudios sobre este fenómeno en estudiantes universitarios. Objetivo: establecer la asociación entre la exposición a la violencia e ideación suicida en universitarios de Santa Marta, Colombia. Metodología: se realizó un estudio cuantitativo, analítico y transversal. Participaron 1647 estudiantes entre 16 y 24 años (M=20,58, DT=1,715), quienes completaron la Escala de Exposición a la Violencia (α = 0,87) y la Escala de Ideación Suicida de Roberts (α=0,74). Resultados: el modelo de regresión logística ajustado indicó que la exposición directa a la violencia en el colegio (OR=2,02; IC95 %=1,28-3,16) y casa (OR=1,53; IC95 %=1,02-2,29), e indirecta en colegio (OR=1,34; IC95 %= I1,06-1,70) y casa (OR=1,91; IC95 %=1,27-2,88), incrementan la ideación suicida. Conclusiones: la exposición a la violencia en el colegio y en la casa, de forma directa e indirecta, son factores de riesgo para la ideación suicida en estudiantes universitarios.
Palabras clave: Exposición a la violencia; Ideación suicida; Salud mental; Estudiantes; Universidades.
Prior studies have reported an association between concussion and suicidality in high school students in the United States. However, when controlling for multiple life stressors in adolescence (e.g., bullying, substance use, poor grades), the relationship between concussion and suicidality was either attenuated or became nonsignificant in one study. Rather than assessing concussion as a possible risk factor for suicidality, this study examined predictors of ideation, planning, and attempts among youth who experienced concussion in the past year. The sample included 13,677 participants from the 2019 Youth Behavior Risk Survey, of whom 1,754 (13%) reported experiencing a concussion in the past year. Binary logistic regressions were conducted to predict ideation, planning, and attempts with modifiable stress factors, including physical activity, bullying, poor grades, insufficient sleep, binge drinking, marijuana use, illicit drug use, and depression. Among adolescents who experienced a concussion in the past year, 25% reported suicidal ideation (31% girls/19% boys), 20% reported suicide planning (25% girls/17% boys), and 15% reported a suicide attempt (17% girls/13% boys). In a multivariable model among girls with prior year concussion, being bullied (OR=2.37), illicit drug use (OR=2.80), current marijuana use (OR=2.47), and depression (OR=9.22) predicted suicidal ideation. Among boys with prior year concussion, being bullied (OR=2.29) and depression (OR=9.50) predicted suicidal ideation. Additional models were used to examine the association between having one or more modifiable stressors and suicidality, revealing that having three or more modifiable stressors was associated with a substantial increase in proportions of youth reporting suicidality. Among adolescents experiencing a concussion, treating depression and substance use, stopping bullying, and increasing physical activity may be associated with reduced risk for suicidality.
Résumé
Introduction
La COVID-19 s’est accompagnée de mesures restrictives. Encourageant le maintien des liens sociaux chez les jeunes, l’OMS soutient l’initiative #PlayApartTogether (jouer ensemble à distance), malgré l’ajout récent de l’addiction aux jeux vidéo (JV) à la CIM-11. Une incompréhension peut naître du caractère paradoxal de ces deux messages.
Méthode
Nous avons effectué une revue de la littérature internationale, afin d’argumenter les bénéfices et risques de la pratique du JV, durant cette crise sanitaire.
Résultats
Il s’avère qu’il est difficile de dégager un consensus. Durant la pandémie, pratiquer des JV semble pouvoir favoriser un bien-être psychique de l’adolescent. Les JV, dits prosociaux, sont un moyen de maintenir le lien à l’autre. Certains JV, quant à eux, mobilisent physiquement. Souffrir au préalable d’anxiété ou de dépression peut mener vers une véritable addiction. La littérature non spécifique de la période COVID-19 fait état de l’amélioration des cognitions associées à une pratique régulière du JV. La pratique des JV prosociaux pourrait être bénéfiques sur le comportement ; alors, violence virtuelle et violence en vie réelle ne sont pas associées. Il n’a pas été établi de surrisque de suicide abouti chez les joueurs.
Conclusion
La littérature argumente le bénéfice de la pratique des JV actuellement. Ceux dits prosociaux sont à privilégier. Il faut, toutefois, rester attentif concernant le risque addictif, en particulier chez le jeune avec dépression préexistante ou nouvellement apparue, et ayant une grande conscience de l’impact du virus, éminemment anxiogène.
Sexual minority youth have a higher risk of suicidal behaviors than their straight peers. Despite this alarming trend, there is limited information on how health-risk factors are systematically associated with suicidal outcomes in relation to the intersection of sex and sexual orientation identity. Data from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (Grades 9-12, N = 14,108) were analyzed to examine three distinct suicidal outcomes (i.e., suicidal ideation, suicide planning, and suicide attempt). Separate hierarchical logistic regression models were performed to gradually adjust for influencing factors in examining the association between suicidal outcomes and sexual orientation identity (i.e., heterosexual, gay/lesbian, bisexual, and unsure), stratified by self-reported sex. There exist significant differences in youth suicidal behaviors based on sexual orientation identity and sex: lesbians (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 2.7, 95% CI [1.5, 5.0]), bisexual girls (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI [1.3, 2.6]) and bisexual boys (AOR = 2.6, 95% CI [1.3, 5.2]) had higher odds of suicide attempts than their straight peers. Unsure boys and girls also reported higher risks of suicidal ideation and suicide plan as compared with their straight peers. Having a very short sleep duration, reporting ever use of illicit drugs, being bullied, and feeling sad/hopeless were associated with elevated risks of suicidality across males and females. This study identified potential disparities in suicidal outcomes by sexual orientation identity as well as factors that attenuate or strengthen this relationship in a representative sample of adolescents across the United States. An improved understanding of the differences in suicidal outcomes will serve as an opportunity to ameliorate any potential inequalities and improve sexual minority youth' health outcomes.
Although research indicates significant associations between exposure to certain types of media and men’s participation in high-risk behaviors, less is known about the potential mediating role of masculinity ideology, which is also linked to risk behaviors. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the relation between multiple forms of media, masculinity ideology, and participation in high-risk behaviors among a sample of 449 undergraduate men from a U.S. Midwestern university. Survey results indicated that overall television use, sports television, and movie viewing were significantly associated with stronger endorsement of masculinity ideology. Masculinity ideology, in turn, was associated with sexual risk-taking, alcohol use, drug use, and speeding while driving. Furthermore, masculinity ideology was found to mediate the relation between these media formats and risk outcomes. These findings highlight several ways in which various media formats and traditional masculine norms promote behaviors that put men at increased risk for sexually transmitted diseases, substance abuse problems, and physical injury.
This study examined how social media use related to sleep quality, self-esteem, anxiety and depression in 467 Scottish adolescents. We measured overall social media use, nighttime-specific social media use, emotional investment in social media, sleep quality, self-esteem and levels of anxiety and depression. Adolescents who used social media more – both overall and at night – and those who were more emotionally invested in social media experienced poorer sleep quality, lower self-esteem and higher levels of anxiety and depression. Nighttime-specific social media use predicted poorer sleep quality after controlling for anxiety, depression and self-esteem. These findings contribute to the growing body of evidence that social media use is related to various aspects of wellbeing in adolescents. In addition, our results indicate that nighttime-specific social media use and emotional investment in social media are two important factors that merit further investigation in relation to adolescent sleep and wellbeing.
Media are one source for adolescent identity development and social identity gratifications. Nielsen viewing data across the 2014-2015 television season for adolescents ages 14-17 was used to examine racial and gender diversity in adolescent television exposure. Compared to US Census data, mainstream shows under represent women, but the proportion of Black characters is roughly representative. Black adolescents watch more television than non-Black adolescents and, after taking this into account, shows popular with Black adolescents are more likely than shows popular with non-Black adolescents to exhibit racial diversity. In addition, shows popular with female adolescents are more likely than shows popular with males to exhibit gender diversity. These results support the idea that adolescents seek out media messages with characters that are members of their identity groups, possibly because the characters serve as tools for identity development and social identity gratifications.
Media, from television to the "new media" (including cell phones, iPads, and social media), are a dominant force in children's lives. Although television is still the predominant medium for children and adolescents, new technologies are increasingly popular. The American Academy of Pediatrics continues to be concerned by evidence about the potential harmful effects of media messages and images; however, important positive and prosocial effects of media use should also be recognized. Pediatricians are encouraged to take a media history and ask 2 media questions at every well-child visit: How much recreational screen time does your child or teenager consume daily? Is there a television set or Internet-connected device in the child's bedroom? Parents are encouraged to establish a family home use plan for all media. Media influences on children and teenagers should be recognized by schools, policymakers, product advertisers, and entertainment producers. Pediatrics 2013;132:958-961.
Commonly used dating violence prevention programs assume that promotion of more egalitarian gender role attitudes will prevent dating violence perpetration. Empirical research examining this assumption, however, is limited and inconsistent. The current study examined the longitudinal association between gender role attitudes and physical dating violence perpetration among adolescent boys (n = 577; 14 % Black, 5 % other race/ethnicity) and examined whether injunctive (i.e., acceptance of dating violence) and descriptive (i.e., beliefs about dating violence prevalence) normative beliefs moderated the association. As expected, the findings suggest that traditional gender role attitudes at T1 were associated with increased risk for dating violence perpetration 18 months later (T2) among boys who reported high, but not low, acceptance of dating violence (injunctive normative beliefs) at T1. Descriptive norms did not moderate the effect of gender role attitudes on dating violence perpetration. The results suggest that injunctive norms and gender role attitudes work synergistically to increase risk for dating violence perpetration among boys; as such, simultaneously targeting both of these constructs may be an effective prevention approach.
To determine the longitudinal and cross-sectional associations between different types of electronic media use (mobile phones, TV, computers, video games, and music) and young adolescents' depressive symptoms, and to explore the potential for household media rules to reduce young people's depression.
126 young adolescents were recruited from the Northeastern USA. Each type of media use was assessed using survey questions, time use diaries, and ecological momentary assessment. The Beck Depression Index for Primary Care was administered at baseline and 1 year later as part of a questionnaire that also included items assessing the presence of household rules about TV and video games.
Baseline use of mobile phones and TV viewing were associated with higher levels of depression 1 year later controlling for demographic information and baseline depression score. Having household rules about TV at baseline predicted lower levels of depression at follow-up.
Both TV viewing and mobile phone use may contribute to the development of depressive symptoms. Implementing household rules about the duration and content of TV could help reduce depression in young adolescents.
Background: Although use of social media is an important part of adolescents’ lives, the mental health impact of this activity is largely unknown to practitioners. Methods: An extensive literature search was conducted regarding social media use among adolescents and the benefits and potential risks associated with that use. A PUBMED search was conducted using various terms including “social media and teens”, “social media and suicide”, “facebook and suicide”, “sexting”, “cyberbullying”, “facebook and teens”, “social media and self-injury”. Relevant articles were examined and used in this review. Also, reports on adolescent social media use from the Pew Internet and American Life Project were examined. Results: This newer form of communication has many benefits to adolescents and plays an important role in their social lives. Despite the numerous benefits of these technologies, there are also several potential risks that can be detrimental to the mental health and well-being of adolescents. Conclusions: It is critical that child psychiatrists and other mental health providers be informed of these potential risks so they can more effectively educate and treat their adolescent patients and their families.
Background:
Emerging research suggests sexual media affects sexual behavior, but most studies are based on regional samples and few include measures of newer mediums. Furthermore, little is known about how sexual media relates to sexual violence victimization.
Methods:
Data are from 1058 youth 14 to 21 years of age in the national, online Growing up with Media study.
Results:
Forty-seven percent reported that many or almost all/all of at least one type of media they consumed depicted sexual situations. Exposure to sexual media in television and movies, and music was greater than online and in games. All other things equal, more frequent exposure to sexual media was related to ever having had sex, coercive sex victimization, and attempted/completed rape but not risky sexual behavior.
Conclusions:
Longer standing mediums such as television and movies appear to be associated with greater amounts of sexual media consumption than newer ones, such as the Internet. A nuanced view of how sexual media content may and may not be affecting today's youth is needed.
The extent to which self-harm and suicidal behavior overlap in community samples of vulnerable youth is not well known. Secondary analyses were conducted of the "linkages study" (N = 4,131), a cross-sectional survey of students enrolled in grades 7, 9, 11/12 in a high-risk community in the U.S. in 2004. Analyses were conducted to determine the risk and protective factors (i.e., academic grades, binge drinking, illicit drug use, weapon carrying, child maltreatment, social support, depression, impulsivity, self-efficacy, parental support, and parental monitoring) associated with both self-harm and suicide attempt. Findings show that 7.5% of participants reported both self-harm and suicide attempt, 2.2% of participants reported suicide attempt only, and 12.4% of participants reported self-harm only. Shared risk factors for co-occurring self-harm and suicide attempt include depression, binge drinking, weapon carrying, child maltreatment, and impulsivity. There were also important differences by sex, grade level, and race/ethnicity that should be considered for future research. The findings show that there is significant overlap in the modifiable risk factors associated with self-harm and suicide attempt that can be targeted for future research and prevention strategies.
There is increasing evidence that the Internet and social media can influence suicide-related behavior. Important questions are whether this influence poses a significant risk to the public and how public health approaches might be used to address the issue. To address these questions, we provide an overview of ways that social media can influence suicidal behavior, both negatively and positively, and we evaluate the evidence of the risk. We also discuss the legal complexities of this important topic and propose future directions for research and prevention programs based on a public health perspective.
We identified associations between time spent watching television and time spent playing video or computer games or using computers and involvement in interpersonal violence, alcohol and drug use in a nationally representative sample of United States high school students.
We analyzed data from the 2007 national Youth Risk Behavior Survey. Exposure variables were time spent watching television and time spent playing computer or video games or using computers (hereafter denoted as "computer/video game use") on an average school day; outcome variables included multiple measures assessing involvement in violence and alcohol or drug use. Chi-square tests were used to identify statistically significant associations between each exposure variable and each of the outcome variables. We used logistic regression to obtain crude odds ratios for outcome variables with a significant chi-square p-value and to obtain adjusted odds ratios controlling for sex, race, and grade in school.
Overall, 35.4% (95% CI=33.1%-37.7%) of students reported frequent television (TV) use and 24.9% (95% CI=22.9%-27.0%) reported frequent computer/video game use. A number of risk behaviors, including involvement in physical fights and initiation of alcohol use before age 13, were significantly associated with frequent TV use or frequent computer/video game use, even after controlling for sex, race/ethnicity and grade.
Findings highlight the need for additional research to better understand the mechanisms by which electronic media exposure and health-risk behaviors are associated and for the development of strategies that seek to understand how the content and context (e.g., watching with peers, having computer in common area) of media use influence risk behaviors among youth.
This study investigated psychosocial mechanisms that may account for sex differences in internalizing symptoms of depression and anxiety during adolescence using data from a prospective, multiwave study with a sample of early and middle adolescents (N = 350, 6th to 10th graders; 57% female). Girls showed higher initial levels of only depressive symptoms, not anxious arousal, and increasing trajectories of depressive and anxious arousal symptoms over time compared with boys after controlling for age. Initial levels of depressive symptoms were mediated by a Rumination x Stressors interaction as well as a Negative Cognitive Style x Stressors interaction. The Negative Cognitive Style x Stressors interaction and Rumination x Stressors interaction partially accounted for girls' increasing trajectories of depressive and anxious arousal symptoms over time.
Physicians underestimate the influence of the media on children and adolescents.1 On average, children and adolescents spend more than 6 hours a day with media—more time than in formal classroom instruction.2Quiz Ref ID
The media may influence virtually every health concern that parents and pediatricians have about children and adolescents -- aggressive behavior, drug use, early sexual activity, obesity, eating disorders, school achievement, language development, suicide. Considerable research has been done in the past 50 years that documents the media's ability to teach children and adolescents attitudes and beliefs that may influence their behavior. Media can also be powerfully pro-social. Clinicians need to understand the potential of media to influence young people and ask 2 key questions at health visits: How much entertainment screen time does the child or teen spend per day? Is there a TV set or Internet connection in the child's or teen's bedroom? Public policy suggestions for mediating harmful effects of media are also presented.
Although certain media exposures have been linked to the presence of psychiatric conditions, few studies have investigated the association between media exposure and depression.
To assess the longitudinal association between media exposure in adolescence and depression in young adulthood in a nationally representative sample.
Longitudinal cohort study. Setting and
We used the National Longitudinal Survey of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to investigate the relationship between electronic media exposure in 4142 adolescents who were not depressed at baseline and subsequent development of depression after 7 years of follow-up. Main Outcome Measure Depression at follow-up assessed using the 9-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale.
Of the 4142 participants (47.5% female and 67.0% white) who were not depressed at baseline and who underwent follow-up assessment, 308 (7.4%) reported symptoms consistent with depression at follow-up. Controlling for all covariates including baseline Center for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale score, those reporting more television use had significantly greater odds of developing depression (odds ratio [95% confidence interval], 1.08 [1.01-1.16]) for each additional hour of daily television use. In addition, those reporting more total media exposure had significantly greater odds of developing depression (1.05 [1.0004-1.10]) for each additional hour of daily use. We did not find a consistent relationship between development of depressive symptoms and exposure to videocassettes, computer games, or radio. Compared with young men, young women were less likely to develop depression given the same total media exposure (odds ratio for interaction term, 0.93 [0.88-0.99]).
Television exposure and total media exposure in adolescence are associated with increased odds of depressive symptoms in young adulthood, especially in young men.
To assess the test-retest reliability of the 1999 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) questionnaire.
A sample of 4,619 male and female high school students from white, black, Hispanic, and other racial/ethnic groups completed the YRBS questionnaire on two occasions approximately two weeks apart. The questionnaire assesses a broad range of health risk behaviors. This study used a protocol that maintained anonymity yet allowed matching of Time-1 and Time-2 responses. The authors computed a kappa statistic for the 72 items measuring health risk behaviors, and compared group prevalence estimates at the two testing occasions.
Kappas ranged from 23.6% to 90.5%, with a mean of 60.7% and a median of 60.0%. Kappas did not differ by gender, grade, or race/ethnicity of the respondent. About one in five items (22.2%) had significantly different prevalence estimates at Time 1 vs. Time 2. Ten items, or 13.9%, had both kappas below 61% and significantly different Time-1 and Time-2 prevalence estimates.
Overall, students appeared to report health risk behaviors reliably over time, but several items need to be examined further to determine whether they should be revised or deleted in future versions of the YRBS.
Early sexual initiation is an important social and health issue. A recent survey suggested that most sexually experienced teens wish they had waited longer to have intercourse; other data indicate that unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases are more common among those who begin sexual activity earlier. The American Academy of Pediatrics has suggested that portrayals of sex on entertainment television (TV) may contribute to precocious adolescent sex. Approximately two-thirds of TV programs contain sexual content. However, empirical data examining the relationships between exposure to sex on TV and adolescent sexual behaviors are rare and inadequate for addressing the issue of causal effects.
We conducted a national longitudinal survey of 1792 adolescents, 12 to 17 years of age. In baseline and 1-year follow-up interviews, participants reported their TV viewing habits and sexual experience and responded to measures of more than a dozen factors known to be associated with adolescent sexual initiation. TV viewing data were combined with the results of a scientific analysis of TV sexual content to derive measures of exposure to sexual content, depictions of sexual risks or safety, and depictions of sexual behavior (versus talk about sex but no behavior).
Initiation of intercourse and advancement in noncoital sexual activity level, during a 1-year period.
Multivariate regression analysis indicated that adolescents who viewed more sexual content at baseline were more likely to initiate intercourse and progress to more advanced noncoital sexual activities during the subsequent year, controlling for respondent characteristics that might otherwise explain these relationships. The size of the adjusted intercourse effect was such that youths in the 90th percentile of TV sex viewing had a predicted probability of intercourse initiation that was approximately double that of youths in the 10th percentile, for all ages studied. Exposure to TV that included only talk about sex was associated with the same risks as exposure to TV that depicted sexual behavior. African American youths who watched more depictions of sexual risks or safety were less likely to initiate intercourse in the subsequent year.
Watching sex on TV predicts and may hasten adolescent sexual initiation. Reducing the amount of sexual content in entertainment programming, reducing adolescent exposure to this content, or increasing references to and depictions of possible negative consequences of sexual activity could appreciably delay the initiation of coital and noncoital activities. Alternatively, parents may be able to reduce the effects of sexual content by watching TV with their teenaged children and discussing their own beliefs about sex and the behaviors portrayed. Pediatricians should encourage these family discussions.
To test whether the results of the accumulated studies on media violence and aggressive behavior are consistent with the theories that have evolved to explain the effects. We tested for the existence of both short-term and long-term effects for aggressive behavior. We also tested the theory-driven hypothesis that short-term effects should be greater for adults and long-term effects should be greater for children.
Meta-analysis.
Children younger than 18 years and adults.
Violent media, including TV, movies, video games, music, and comic books.
Measures of aggressive behavior, aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, physiological arousal (eg, heart rate, blood pressure), and helping behavior.
Effect size estimates were combined using meta-analytic procedures. As expected, the short-term effects of violent media were greater for adults than for children whereas the long-term effects were greater for children than for adults. The results also showed that there were overall modest but significant effect sizes for exposure to media violence on aggressive behaviors, aggressive thoughts, angry feelings, arousal levels, and helping behavior.
The results are consistent with the theory that short-term effects are mostly due to the priming of existing well-encoded scripts, schemas, or beliefs, which adults have had more time to encode. In contrast, long-term effects require the learning (encoding) of scripts, schemas, or beliefs. Children can encode new scripts, schemas, and beliefs via observational learning with less interference and effort than adults.
In the absence of effective sex education at home or school, the media have become important sources of sexual information for adolescents in the United States. Mainstream media inundate teenagers with sexual images and innuendoes. In the most recent content analysis of American primetime TV, more than three-fourths of the shows had sexual content; yet less than 15% contained any references to responsible sexuality, abstinence, the risk of pregnancy, or the risk of sexually transmitted infections. Dozens of studies attest to the power of the media to influence teenagers' beliefs and attitudes about sex. Three longitudinal studies have all found that adolescents exposed to more sexual content are more likely to begin having sexual intercourse earlier than their peers who see or hear less about sex in the media. The media could become part of the solution as well as part of the problem - if there were more responsible portrayals of human sex and more widespread advertising of birth control products.
This policy statement focuses on children and adolescents 5 through 18 years of age. Research suggests both benefits and risks of media use for the health of children and teenagers. Benefits include exposure to new ideas and knowledge acquisition, increased opportunities for social contact and support, and new opportunities to access health-promotion messages and information. Risks include negative health effects on weight and sleep; exposure to inaccurate, inappropriate, or unsafe content and contacts; and compromised privacy and confidentiality. Parents face challenges in monitoring their children's and their own media use and in serving as positive role models. In this new era, evidence regarding healthy media use does not support a one-size-fits-all approach. Parents and pediatricians can work together to develop a Family Media Use Plan (www.healthychildren. org/MediaUsePlan) that considers their children's developmental stages to individualize an appropriate balance for media time and consistent rules about media use, to mentor their children, to set boundaries for accessing content and displaying personal information, and to implement open family communication about media.
Today's children and adolescents are immersed in both traditional and new forms of digital media. Research on traditional media, such as television, has identified health concerns and negative outcomes that correlate with the duration and content of viewing. Over the past decade, the use of digital media, including interactive and social media, has grown, and research evidence suggests that these newer media offer both benefits and risks to the health of children and teenagers. Evidence-based benefits identified from the use of digital and social media include early learning, exposure to new ideas and knowledge, increased opportunities for social contact and support, and new opportunities to access health promotion messages and information. Risks of such media include negative health effects on sleep, attention, and learning; a higher incidence of obesity and depression; exposure to inaccurate, inappropriate, or unsafe content and contacts; and compromised privacy and confidentiality. This technical report reviews the literature regarding these opportunities and risks, framed around clinical questions, for children from birth to adulthood. To promote health and wellness in children and adolescents, it is important to maintain adequate physical activity, healthy nutrition, good sleep hygiene, and a nurturing social environment. A healthy Family Media Use Plan (www.healthychildren. org/MediaUsePlan) that is individualized for a specific child, teenager, or family can identify an appropriate balance between screen time/online time and other activities, set boundaries for accessing content, guide displays of personal information, encourage age-appropriate critical thinking and digital literacy, and support open family communication and implementation of consistent rules about media use.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) adolescents are avid users of computer-mediated communication (CMC), but few empirical studies have investigated the function of CMC in the lives of LGB youth. Grounded in the media practice model, the present study explored the relationships among CMC, sexual identity commitment, and well-being by surveying LGB adolescents (N = 570). Results indicated that a positive relationship existed between time spent on social network sites and well-being that was mediated by sexual identity commitment. Time spent instant messaging, sending/receiving e-mail, or in chat rooms was not related to sexual identity commitment or well-being. Social network sites may aid LGB youth in understanding their sexual identities in ways that other CMC modalities cannot.
Background:
Teen dating violence (TDV) negatively impacts health, mental and physical well-being, and school performance.
Methods:
Data from a nationally representative sample of high school students participating in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)'s 2013 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) are used to demonstrate associations of physical and sexual TDV with school violence-related experiences and behaviors, including bullying victimization. Bivariate and adjusted sex-stratified regressions assessed relationships between TDV and school violence-related experiences and behaviors.
Results:
Compared to students not reporting TDV, those experiencing both physical and sexual TDV were more likely to report carrying a weapon at school, missing school because they felt unsafe, being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property, having a physical fight at school, and being bullied on school property.
Conclusions:
School-based prevention efforts should target multiple forms of violence.
Problem:
Priority health-risk behaviors contribute to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among youth and adults. Population-based data on these behaviors at the national, state, and local levels can help monitor the effectiveness of public health interventions designed to protect and promote the health of youth nationwide.
Reporting period covered:
September 2014-December 2015.
Description of the system:
The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS) monitors six categories of priority health behaviors among youth and young adults: 1) behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; 2) tobacco use; 3) alcohol and other drug use; 4) sexual behaviors related to unintended pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection; 5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and 6) physical inactivity. In addition, YRBSS monitors the prevalence of obesity and asthma and other priority health behaviors. YRBSS includes a national school-based Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) conducted by CDC and state and large urban school district school-based YRBSs conducted by state and local education and health agencies. This report summarizes results for 118 health behaviors plus obesity, overweight, and asthma from the 2015 national survey, 37 state surveys, and 19 large urban school district surveys conducted among students in grades 9-12.
Results:
Results from the 2015 national YRBS indicated that many high school students are engaged in priority health-risk behaviors associated with the leading causes of death among persons aged 10-24 years in the United States. During the 30 days before the survey, 41.5% of high school students nationwide among the 61.3% who drove a car or other vehicle during the 30 days before the survey had texted or e-mailed while driving, 32.8% had drunk alcohol, and 21.7% had used marijuana. During the 12 months before the survey, 15.5% had been electronically bullied, 20.2% had been bullied on school property, and 8.6% had attempted suicide. Many high school students are engaged in sexual risk behaviors that relate to unintended pregnancies and STIs, including HIV infection. Nationwide, 41.2% of students had ever had sexual intercourse, 30.1% had had sexual intercourse during the 3 months before the survey (i.e., currently sexually active), and 11.5% had had sexual intercourse with four or more persons during their life. Among currently sexually active students, 56.9% had used a condom during their last sexual intercourse. Results from the 2015 national YRBS also indicated many high school students are engaged in behaviors associated with chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. During the 30 days before the survey, 10.8% of high school students had smoked cigarettes and 7.3% had used smokeless tobacco. During the 7 days before the survey, 5.2% of high school students had not eaten fruit or drunk 100% fruit juices and 6.7% had not eaten vegetables. More than one third (41.7%) had played video or computer games or used a computer for something that was not school work for 3 or more hours per day on an average school day and 14.3% had not participated in at least 60 minutes of any kind of physical activity that increased their heart rate and made them breathe hard on at least 1 day during the 7 days before the survey. Further, 13.9% had obesity and 16.0% were overweight.
Interpretation:
Many high school students engage in behaviors that place them at risk for the leading causes of morbidity and mortality. The prevalence of most health behaviors varies by sex, race/ethnicity, and grade and across states and large urban school districts. Long-term temporal changes also have occurred. Since the earliest year of data collection, the prevalence of most health-risk behaviors has decreased (e.g., riding with a driver who had been drinking alcohol, physical fighting, current cigarette use, current alcohol use, and current sexual activity), but the prevalence of other behaviors and health outcomes has not changed (e.g., suicide attempts treated by a doctor or nurse, smokeless tobacco use, having ever used marijuana, and attending physical education classes) or has increased (e.g., having not gone to school because of safety concerns, obesity, overweight, not eating vegetables, and not drinking milk). Monitoring emerging risk behaviors (e.g., texting and driving, bullying, and electronic vapor product use) is important to understand how they might vary over time.
Public health action:
YRBSS data are used widely to compare the prevalence of health behaviors among subpopulations of students; assess trends in health behaviors over time; monitor progress toward achieving 21 national health objectives for Healthy People 2020 and one of the 26 leading health indicators; provide comparable state and large urban school district data; and help develop and evaluate school and community policies, programs, and practices designed to decrease health-risk behaviors and improve health outcomes among youth.
BACKGROUND
Childhood exposure to adverse experiences has been associated with adult asthma, smoking, sexually transmitted disease, obesity, substance use, depression, and sleep disturbances. Conceptualizing bullying as an adverse childhood experience, 2011 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS) data were used to examine the relationship between in-person and electronic bullying victimization among US high school students and health risk behaviors and conditions related to violence, substance use, sexual risk, overweight and physical activity, sleep, and asthma. METHODS
Data were from the 2011 national YRBS among students who answered questions about in-person and electronic bullying (N=13,846). The YRBS is a biennial, nationally representative survey of students in grades 9-12 (overall response rate=71%). Logistic regression analyses, stratified by sex and controlling for race/ethnicity and grade, examined the association between bullying victimization and health risk behaviors or conditions. RESULTSRates of victimization varied; 9.4% of students reported being bullied in-person and electronically, 10.8% only bullied in-person, 6.8% only electronically bullied, and 73.0% uninvolved. Bullying was associated with nearly all health risk behaviors and conditions studied. CONCLUSION
Assessing the broad functioning and behaviors of victims of bullying could enable educators and health practitioners to intervene early and promote the long-term health of youth.
Substance use in adolescence is a significant concern, particularly the use of multiple drugs. Yet, most studies examine a single substance in isolation, with limited consideration of the use of multiple substances. Furthermore, few studies have examined how teen dating violence (TDV) victimization is associated with patterns of substance use.
Using latent class analysis and latent class regression, the present study aimed to (1) identify subtypes of substance use among high school students and (2) examine the association between past-year physical and psychological TDV victimization and pattern of substance use. We focused on 30-day use of alcohol, binge drinking, marijuana, cigarette, cigarillo, and prescription drug use. Analyses were conducted on data from 18,680 adolescents in Grades 9-12, across 58 high schools.
The latent class analysis indicated a five-class model best fit the data; the largest class was composed of nonusers, whereas the other classes were high polysubstance use, alcohol use, alcohol and marijuana use, and moderate polysubstance use. The multinomial regression analyses indicated that adolescents who had experienced physical and psychological TDV were more likely to be in the two polysubstance use classes and the alcohol and marijuana use class, as compared with nonvictimized adolescents.
There is heterogeneity in adolescents' self-reported recent substance use, although a large proportion of substance-using youth reported recent alcohol and marijuana use. Preventive interventions should focus their efforts on preventing substance use among victims of TDV, in part because substance use is a risk factor for TDV victimization.
Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Teen dating violence (TDV) is a preventable public health issue that has been linked to other forms of aggression and violence victimization. It is also a growing concern for school psychologists who may be working to prevent TDV and related behavioral problems, like bullying. The current study examined various forms of bullying victimization (verbal, physical, and relational) and their association with physical and emotional TDV. Self-report data from 17,780 adolescents (33% African American, 54% White) in Grades 9-12 across 58 high schools were analyzed using 3-level models with dichotomous outcomes. Multilevel logistic regressions indicated that adolescents who had experienced bullying (physical, relational, and verbal) were more likely to have also experienced physical and emotional dating violence. Perceived norms about students' and adults' bullying interventions were associated with reduced odds of physical (ORadults = .82, p < .001) and emotional TDV (ORadults = .82, p < .001). Findings underscore the need to better understand the relationship between TDV and bullying victimization to design and enhance prevention efforts that address both forms of violence. (PsycINFO Database Record
(c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).
Priority health-risk behaviors (i.e., interrelated and preventable behaviors that contribute to the leading causes of morbidity and mortality among youths and adults) often are established during childhood and adolescence and extend into adulthood. The Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System (YRBSS), established in 1991, monitors six categories of priority health-risk behaviors among youths and young adults: 1) behaviors that contribute to unintentional injuries and violence; 2) sexual behaviors that contribute to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, other sexually transmitted diseases, and unintended pregnancy; 3) tobacco use; 4) alcohol and other drug use; 5) unhealthy dietary behaviors; and 6) physical inactivity. In addition, YRBSS monitors the prevalence of obesity and asthma among this population. YRBSS data are obtained from multiple sources including a national school-based survey conducted by CDC as well as school-based state, territorial, tribal, and large urban school district surveys conducted by education and health agencies. These surveys have been conducted biennially since 1991 and include representative samples of students in grades 9-12. In 2004, a description of the YRBSS methodology was published (CDC. Methodology of the Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System. MMWR 2004;53 [No RR-12]). Since 2004, improvements have been made to YRBSS, including increases in coverage and expanded technical assistance. This report describes these changes and updates earlier descriptions of the system, including questionnaire content; operational procedures; sampling, weighting, and response rates; data-collection protocols; data-processing procedures; reports and publications; and data quality. This report also includes results of methods studies that systematically examined how different survey procedures affect prevalence estimates. YRBSS continues to evolve to meet the needs of CDC and other data users through the ongoing revision of the questionnaire, the addition of new populations, and the development of innovative methods for data collection.
Background:
The age, sex, and ethnic distribution of adolescents who commit suicide is significantly different from that of the general population. The present study was designed to examine psychiatric risk factors and the relationship between them and demographic variables.Methods:
A case-control, psychologic autopsy study of 120 of 170 consecutive subjects (age, <20 years) who committed suicide and 147 community age-, sex-, and ethnic-matched control subjects who had lived in the Greater New York (NY) area.Results:
By using parent informants only, 59% of subjects who committed suicide and 23% of control subjects who met DSM-III criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, 49% and 26%, respectively, had had symptoms for more than 3 years, and 46% and 29%, respectively, had had previous contact with a mental health professional. Best-estimate rates, based on multiple informants for these parameters, for suicides only, were 91%, 52%, and 46%, respectively. Previous attempts and mood disorder were major risk factors for both sexes; substance and/or alcohol abuse was a risk factor for males only. Mood disorder was more common in females, substance and/or alcohol abuse occurred exclusively in males (62% of 18-to 19-year-old suicides). The prevalence of a psychiatric diagnosis and, in particular, substance and/or alcohol abuse increased with age.Conclusion:
A limited range of diagnoses—most commonly a mood disorder alone or in combination with conduct disorder and/or substance abuse—characterizes most suicides among teenagers.
The aim of this study was to examine the effect of adolescents' exposure to media portraying antisocial and risk behavior on cyberbullying behavior over time. Previous research established relatively high prevalence of cyberbullying behavior among adolescents, although not much is known about the possible predictors of cyberbullying behavior. This study examines the long-term effects of media exposure herein. Furthermore, we examined whether boys and girls differ in this respect.
The long-term effects were tested in a longitudinal design with three waves (N = 1,005; age range, 11-17 years; 49% boys). Measured variables: cyberbullying behavior and exposure to media with antisocial and risk behavior content.
Results of mixed-model analyses showed that higher levels of exposure to media with antisocial and risk behavior content significantly contributed to higher initial rates of cyberbullying behavior. Moreover, an increase in exposure to antisocial media content was significantly related to an increase in cyberbullying behavior over time. For both boys and girls, higher exposure to antisocial and risk behavior media content increases cyberbullying behavior over time though more clearly for boys than for girls.
This study provided empirical support for the amplifying effect of exposure to antisocial media content on adolescents' cyberbullying behavior over time. Results are discussed in view of adolescents' media use and the larger theoretical framework.
Copyright © 2015 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Background and objectives:
Over the last decade there has been increased attention to the association between bullying involvement (as a victim, perpetrator, or bully-victim) and suicidal ideation/behaviors. We conducted a meta-analysis to estimate the association between bullying involvement and suicidal ideation and behaviors.
Methods:
We searched multiple online databases and reviewed reference sections of articles derived from searches to identify cross-sectional studies published through July 2013. Using search terms associated with bullying, suicide, and youth, 47 studies (38.3% from the United States, 61.7% in non-US samples) met inclusion criteria. Seven observers independently coded studies and met in pairs to reach consensus.
Results:
Six different meta-analyses were conducted by using 3 predictors (bullying victimization, bullying perpetration, and bully/victim status) and 2 outcomes (suicidal ideation and suicidal behaviors). A total of 280 effect sizes were extracted and multilevel, random effects meta-analyses were performed. Results indicated that each of the predictors were associated with risk for suicidal ideation and behavior (range, 2.12 [95% confidence interval (CI), 1.67-2.69] to 4.02 [95% CI, 2.39-6.76]). Significant heterogeneity remained across each analysis. The bullying perpetration and suicidal behavior effect sizes were moderated by the study's country of origin; the bully/victim status and suicidal ideation results were moderated by bullying assessment method.
Conclusions:
Findings demonstrated that involvement in bullying in any capacity is associated with suicidal ideation and behavior. Future research should address mental health implications of bullying involvement to prevent suicidal ideation/behavior.
Importance:
Peer victimization is related to an increased chance of suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among children and adolescents. OBJECTIVE To examine the relationship between peer victimization and suicidal ideation or suicide attempts using meta-analysis. DATA SOURCES Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science were searched for articles from 1910 to 2013. The search terms were bully*, teas*, victim*, mobbing, ragging, and harassment in combination with the term suic*. Of the 491 studies identified, 34 reported on the relationship between peer victimization and suicidal ideation, with a total of 284,375 participants. Nine studies reported on the relationship between peer victimization and suicide attempts, with a total of 70,102 participants. STUDY SELECTION Studies were eligible for inclusion if they reported an effect size on the relationship between peer victimization and suicidal ideation or suicide attempt in children or adolescents.
Data extraction and synthesis:
Two observers independently coded the effect sizes from the articles. Data were pooled using a random effects model. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES This study focused on suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. Peer victimization was hypothesized to be related to suicidal ideation and suicide attempts. RESULTS Peer victimization was found to be related to both suicidal ideation (odds ratio, 2.23 [95% CI, 2.10-2.37]) and suicide attempts (2.55 [1.95 -3.34]) among children and adolescents. Analyses indicated that these results were not attributable to publication bias. Results were not moderated by sex, age, or study quality. Cyberbullying was more strongly related to suicidal ideation compared with traditional bullying. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Peer victimization is a risk factor for child and adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts. Schools should use evidence-based practices to reduce bullying.
Because popular media such as movies can both reflect and contribute to changes in cultural norms and values, we examined gender differences and trends in the portrayal of sexual and violent content in top-grossing films from 1950 to 2006.
The sample included 855 of the top-grossing films released over 57 years, from 1950 to 2006. The number of female and male main characters and their involvement in sexual and violent behavior were coded and analyzed over time. The relationships between sexual and violent behavior within films were also assessed.
The average number of male and female main characters in films has remained stable over time, with male characters outnumbering female characters by more than two to one. Female characters were twice as likely as male characters to be involved in sex, with differences in more explicit sex growing over time. Violence has steadily increased for both male and female characters.
Although women continue to be underrepresented in films, their disproportionate portrayal in more explicit sexual content has grown over time. Their portrayal in violent roles has also grown, but at the same rate as men. Implications of exposure to these trends among young movie-going men and women are discussed.
Media use is associated with an increased risk of chronic disease and reduced quality of life among children. This study examined the relationship between media use during discretionary hours after school and psychological and physical assets among preadolescent girls.
A cross-sectional analysis was conducted using data from a larger quasi-experimental evaluation of a positive youth development program through sport for third- to fifth-grade girls. Indicators of media use were the number of hours per school day spent watching television and videos and using computers. Psychological assets included global self-esteem, body size satisfaction, and commitment to physical activity; physical assets included physical activity. Nested random effects analysis of variance (ANOVA) models were used to examine the relationship between media use and psychological and physical assets controlling for relevant confounding factors.
The analytic sample included 1027 participants; most were ≥10 years old, non-White; 27% self-reported ≥4 hours of media use on school days. In adjusted results, media use was inversely associated with self-esteem (p = .008) and commitment to physical activity (p < .001). Time spent using media was not associated with body size satisfaction or physical activity in this age group.
Media use was negatively associated with self-esteem and commitment to physical activity. It may be useful for school professionals to encourage after-school programs that offer opportunities for girls to reduce sedentary pursuits and improve important psychological and physical assets.
Adolescents far outnumber adults in their use of e-communication technologies, such as instant messaging and social network sites. In this article, we present an integrative model that helps us to understand both the appeal of these technologies and their risks and opportunities for the psychosocial development of adolescents. We first outline how the three features (anonymity, asynchronicity, and accessibility) of online communication stimulate controllability of online self-presentation and self-disclosure among adolescents. We then review research on the risks and opportunities of online self-presentation and self-disclosure for the three components of adolescents' psychosocial development, including identity (self-unity, self-esteem), intimacy (relationship formation, friendship quality, cyberbullying), and sexuality (sexual self-exploration, unwanted sexual solicitation). Existing research suggests several opportunities of online communication, such as enhanced self-esteem, relationship formation, friendship quality, and sexual self-exploration. It also yields evidence of several risks, including cyberbullying and unwanted sexual solicitation. We discuss the shortcomings of existing research, the possibilities for future research, and the implications for educators and health care professionals.
Longitudinal linkages between intentional exposure to x-rated material and sexually aggressive behavior were examined among youth 10-15 year olds surveyed nationally in the United States. At Wave 1 in 2006, participants (n = 1,588) were queried about these exposures and outcomes in the preceding 12 months. Wave 2 data (n = 1,206) were collected approximately 12 months after Wave 1 and Wave 3 data (n = 1,159) were collected approximately 24 months after Wave 1. Thus, data for this project represent a 36-month time frame. A marginal model with generalized estimating equations was used to represent the population-average odds of sexually aggressive behavior over the 36 months as a function of exposure to x-rated material over the same time and to account for clustering in the data within person over time. An average of 5% of youth reported perpetrating sexually aggressive behavior and 23% of youth reported intentional exposure to x-rated material. After adjusting for other potentially influential proximal (i.e., sexual aggression victimization) and distal characteristics (e.g., substance use), we found that intentional exposure to violent x-rated material over time predicted an almost 6-fold increase in the odds of self-reported sexually aggressive behavior (aOR: 5.8, 95% CI: 3.2, 10.5), whereas exposure to nonviolent x-rated material was not statistically significantly related (aOR: 1.7, 95% CI: 0.94, 2.9). Associations were similar for boys and girls (boys nonviolent x-rated material aOR = 2.0, 95% CI: 0.8, 4.7; violent x-rated material aOR = 6.5, 95% CI: 2.7, 15.3; girls nonviolent x-rated material aOR = 1.2, 95% CI: 0.5, 3.2; violet x-rated material aOR = 6.1, 95% CI: 2.5, 14.8).
The age, sex, and ethnic distribution of adolescents who commit suicide is significantly different from that of the general population. The present study was designed to examine psychiatric risk factors and the relationship between them and demographic variables.
A case-control, psychologic autopsy study of 120 of 170 consecutive subjects (age, <20 years) who committed suicide and 147 community age-, sex-, and ethnic-matched control subjects who had lived in the Greater New York (NY) area.
By using parent informants only, 59% of subjects who committed suicide and 23% of control subjects who met DSM-III criteria for a psychiatric diagnosis, 49% and 26%, respectively, had had symptoms for more than 3 years, and 46% and 29%, respectively, had had previous contact with a mental health professional. Best-estimate rates, based on multiple informants for these parameters, for suicides only, were 91%, 52%, and 46%, respectively. Previous attempts and mood disorder were major risks factors for both sexes; substance and/or alcohol abuse was a risk factor for males only. Mood disorder was more common in females, substance and/or alcohol abuse occurred exclusively in males (62% of 18- to 19-year-old suicides). The prevalence of a psychiatric diagnosis and, in particular, substance and/or alcohol abuse increased with age.
A limited range of diagnoses--most commonly a mood disorder alone or in combination with conduct disorder and/or substance abuse--characterizes most suicides among teenagers.
This article describes the average and group-based developmental trajectories of aggression, opposition, property violations, and status violations using parent reports of externalizing behaviors on a longitudinal multiple birth cohort study of 2,076 children aged 4 to 18 years. Trajectories were estimated from multilevel growth curve analyses and semiparametric mixture models. Overall, males showed higher levels of externalizing behavior than did females. Aggression, opposition, and property violations decreased on average, whereas status violations increased over time. Group-based trajectories followed the shape of the average curves at different levels and were similar for males and females. The trajectories found in this study provide a basis against which deviations from the expected developmental course can be identified and classified as deviant or nondeviant.
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