Psychometric properties of the Smartphone Addiction Inventory - Short Form (SPAI-SF) in Brazilian adolescents.

The Smartphone Addiction Inventory - Short Form (SPAI-SF) is shorter version (10 items) of the original version of SPAI (26 items). In this study, we aimed to: (i) adapt and test the internal structure of the SPAI-SF, using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), multigroup confirmatory factor analysis (MGCFA), and network analysis; (ii) analyze the internal consistency, temporal stability, criterion, predictive and construct validities of the SPAI-SF. A total of 392 adolescents (M = 12.76; SD = 1.00) completed the following measures: demographic questionnaire, SPAI-SF, Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV), and the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The CFA showed good fit indices with the original four factors, and MGCFA indicated measurement invariance for gender. Network analysis provided an understanding of the core symptoms of problematic smartphone use (PSU) for both boys and girls. The intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.865 (95% CI: 0.841 - 0.887) and indicated a robust temporal stability. The instrument demonstrated acceptable overall reliability measured by Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's Omega criteria (α = 0.722; ω = 0.725) and did not show floor and ceiling effects. The scale's significant correlations demonstrated convergent and criterion validities of the SPAI-SF with SAS-SV, IAT, and Smartphone usage data. The SPAI-SF is a reliable instrument to detect PSU in adolescents.

The Effect of Psychosocial Interventions for Reducing Co-occurring Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Individuals with Problematic Internet Use: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

The objective of this study is to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the effect of psychosocial interventions in reducing problematic Internet use (PIU), anxiety, and depression symptoms in a sample of people. This review was registered on the PROSPERO database (CRD42020181912) and a total of 15 studies were included. Analyses of the effect of the interventions were conducted based on the standardized mean difference of the studied outcomes (PIU, anxiety, and depression). Most studies reported a positive effect of psychosocial interventions on reducing symptoms of PIU, depression, and anxiety among people with PIU. However, only one detected a robust effect in reducing symptoms of anxiety. For depression, this effect was more modest, and there was no difference between the different modalities of psychosocial interventions. The results suggest that psychosocial interventions are effective in reducing both symptoms of PIU and co-occurring symptoms of depression and anxiety in individuals with PIU. Supplementary Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s11469-022-00846-6.

Association between quality of life and risk behaviors in Brazilian adolescents: An exploratory study.

We evaluated the association between risk behaviors and quality of life in 1,081 adolescents classified into the risk behavior (RB) or the non-risk behavior (nRB) group. The data were analyzed with logistic regression models, analysis of variance, and network analysis. The nRB group had higher quality-of-life scores, and having a religion (OR = .42) and better quality of life (OR = .95) significantly reduced the odds of risk behaviors. The network analysis identified that religion, gender, and type of school showed the best centrality and connectivity indices. These data showed a negative association between risk behaviors and lower quality-of-life levels.

Validation of smartphone addiction scale - Short version (SAS-SV) in Brazilian adolescents.

The objectives of this study were to analyze the psychometric properties of the Smartphone Addiction Scale - Short Version (SAS-SV) as follows: (i) the factor structure of the SAS-SV using different statistical methods; (ii) the evidence of convergence; (iii) the temporal stability of the SAS-SV; and (iv) predictive SAS-SV validity. A total of 451 adolescents participated in this study (age M = 13.1; SD = 1.22) by completing a sociodemographic questionnaire (including items evaluating the perception of smartphone use), the Internet Addiction Test (IAT), and the SAS-SV. It was found that 53.2% demonstrated problematic smartphone use. The SAS-SV showed good reliability (α = 0.81; ω = 0.78), and all of its items were kept. The network analysis indicated that the items evaluating the withdrawal and preoccupation symptoms had the greatest influence on the network. The intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.846 and indicated good temporal stability of the SAS-SV 20-30 days after the first application. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated 33 points as the best cutoff for the SAS-SV (AUC = 0.739; sensitivity = 65.37%; specificity = 72.26). The instrument also showed a moderate correlation with the variables related to smartphone use (time spent on smartphones, number of messages sent and received, and number of times the smartphone is checked). These data indicate that the SAS-SV may be a reliable instrument for use with Brazilian adolescents.

Self-Justification Processes Related to Bullying Among Brazilian Adolescents: A Mixed Methods Study.

This study aims to investigate the associations between bullying and moral disengagement in a Brazilian sample, using a mixed method design. Two-thousand three hundred and thirty-four adolescents (11-19 years; 42.9% girls) answered self-report measures on bullying and moral disengagement in response to bullying situations. Fifty-five participants were randomly selected and interviewed on their experiences on bullying at school. Results allowed to identify specific mechanisms of moral disengagement associated with bullying behavior among Brazilian adolescents. Qualitative analysis highlighted how moral disengagement mechanisms were spontaneously used by the adolescents to explain both the bullying and the bystander behaviors. Findings support the relevance of moral disengagement mechanisms in explaining bullying behaviors. The value of addressing these mechanisms when designing anti-bullying interventions is discussed.

[Systematic review on bullying and family: an analysis based on bioecological systems]. / Revisão sistemática sobre bullying e família: uma análise a partir dos sistemas bioecológicos.

OBJECTIVE: Analyze the relationships between family context and involvement in school bullying. METHODS: The following databases were searched: Web of Science, PsycoInfo, Pub-Med, Lilacs and SciELO virtual library, using the terms bullying, family and parents. A total of 61 papers met the eligibility criteria. The corpus was analyzed through the Bioecological Development Framework. RESULTS: The experiences of students experiencing situations of bullying are multifaceted and are related to the family context. Elements from the microsystem, such as violence in the family, parental practices, environment and type of family arrangements, were the elements more frequently explored and related to bullying, though the relationships of parents with the children's friends, the parents' education and socioeconomic conditions, along with the exo, meso and macro systems were also related to bullying. CONCLUSION: The review contributes to the literature by broadening the approach to this phenomenon that affects the health and development of children and adolescents.

The Effects of a Skill-Based Intervention for Victims of Bullying in Brazil.

This study's objective was to verify whether improved social and emotional skills would reduce victimization among Brazilian 6th grade student victims of bullying. The targets of this intervention were victimized students; a total of 78 victims participated. A cognitive-behavioral intervention based on social and emotional skills was held in eight weekly sessions. The sessions focused on civility, the ability to make friends, self-control, emotional expressiveness, empathy, assertiveness, and interpersonal problem-solving capacity. Data were analyzed through Poisson regression models with random effects. Pre- and post-analyses reveal that intervention and comparison groups presented significant reduced victimization by bullying. No significant improvement was found in regard to difficulties in practicing social skills. Victimization reduction cannot be attributed to the program. This study contributes to the incipient literature addressing anti-bullying interventions conducted in developing countries and highlights the need for approaches that do not exclusively focus on the students' individual aspects.

The causes of bullying: results from the National Survey of School Health (PeNSE).

OBJECTIVE: to identify the characteristics and reasons reported by Brazilian students for school bullying. METHOD: this cross-sectional study uses data from an epidemiological survey (National Survey of School Health) conducted in 2012. A total of 109,104 9th grade students from private and public schools participated. Data were collected through a self-applied questionnaire and the analysis was performed using SPSS, version 20, Complex Samples Module. RESULTS: the prevalence of bullying was 7.2%, most frequently affecting Afro-descendant or indigenous younger boys, whose mothers were characterized by low levels of education. In regard to the reasons/causes of bullying, 51.2% did not specify; the second highest frequency of victimization was related to body appearance (18.6%); followed by facial appearance (16.2%); race/color (6.8%); sexual orientation 2.9%; religion 2.5%; and region of origin 1.7%. The results are similar to those found in other sociocultural contexts. CONCLUSION: the problem belongs to the health field because it gathers aspects that determine the students' health-disease-care continuum.

The involvement of girls and boys with bullying: an analysis of gender differences.

This exploratory and cross-sectional study aimed to identify the prevalence of bullying in a group of students and analyze the data regarding the gender of those involved in the violence. A questionnaire adapted from Olweus was applied in seven elementary education schools in Portugal. The sample consisted of 387 students between 7 and 14 years old. Data are presented in terms of descriptive statistics and differences between proportions were analyzed using chi-square tests. The gender analysis of victimization and aggression shows that boys and girls are both victims and aggressors, and there are significant differences in involvement in bullying between genders and the roles played. Boys are victims more often when considering different types of bullying, although significant differences were only found for physical aggression. Strategies that include gender roles are a priority for prevention and careful attention to this phenomenon in the school context. The questions addressed contribute to a broader understanding of the phenomenon, emphasizing the differential participation of boys and girls in bullying.