Victimization in school, digital leisure and irritability: analysis using structural equations

Abstract

Victimization in school represents a worrying phenomenon given the negative consequences associated with it, such as states of depression or anxiety which are related to digital leisure habits. This descriptive and cross-sectional study, which was conducted on a sample of 1038 students of third cycle of Primary Education (M = 11,33; SD = 1,27), aims to define and contrast an explanatory model about the use of television and video games based on victimization. The instruments employed were the Scale of Victimization in School (Mynard y Joseph, 2000) and an Ad Hoc questionnaire for recording variables related to digital leisure. The structural model was correctly developed and with good reliability. The results showed positive relationships between the three types of victimization, physical victimization and use of video games and television, and verbal victimization and use of television. Furthermore, digital leisure habits were positively associated with levels of irritability, which shows how bullying can act as a risk factor in the problematic use of video games and television. Victimization may constitute a risk factor in the pathological consumption of screen leisure and irritability states.