Empathy in Traditional and Cyber Bullying/Victimization Involvement From Early to Middle Adolescence: A Cross Sectional Study

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship of affective and cognitive empathy with traditional and cyber bullying/victimization experiences among Greek participants who attended the fifth and sixth grade of elementary school (n=126), junior high school (n=140), and senior high school (n=157). Overall, results indicated negative correlations of empathy (especially affective) with traditional and cyber bullying/victimization. Negative correlations were particularly observed among elementary school participants, while affective empathy was found to be negatively related to bullying involvement, especially among girls. Overall, empathy (especially affective) may not be sufficiently developed among elementary school students, thus precluding them from understanding and caring about others' emotional state. The negative correlation of empathy and cyber-bullying among junior high school participants might be related to the characteristics of computer mediated communication. Implications of the findings are discussed.