Digital skills among youth: A dataset from a three-wave longitudinal survey in six European countries.

This dataset provides longitudinal survey data from a European project, ySKILLS, which was focused on the role of digital skills in youths' development. It contains data from 10,821 participants from Grades 6-10 (in Wave 1) in Estonia, Finland, Germany, Italy, Poland, and Portugal. The data was collected between Spring 2021 and Spring 2023, the participants were recruited through schools, where the data collection also took place, except for online data collections due to restrictions caused by COVID-19. The dataset is novel in its multidimensional approach to the construct of digital literacy. It provides insight into the development of digital skills in youth and the role of digital skills and internet usage in youths' positive and negative online experiences and wellbeing. It also contains data that allows for the analysis of the role of digital skills in class networks. The data are beneficial for researchers interested in the examination of youths' online skills, internet usage, online experiences, and wellbeing from a longitudinal perspective.

Cyberbullying Characteristics and Prevention-What Can We Learn from Narratives Provided by Adolescents and Their Teachers?

The purpose of this article is to present the results of the study on the specific aspects of cyberbullying and prevention measures viewed from both the students' and teachers' perspectives. Cyberbullying is a severe threat to the individual and social well-being of young people. For this reason, it is important to understand how they perceive the phenomenon of cyberbullying, how they identify its causes, what they think about support, and the preventive measures offered through the lens of their own cyberbullying experiences. The study was conducted in a qualitative research paradigm. Students (N = 55) aged 13-16 from 25 junior high schools located in different regions of (blinded for the review) who had experienced cyberbullying incidents as victims, perpetrators, or bystanders, and their teachers (N = 45) were interviewed. They provided in-depth answers regarding cyberbullying incidents they had experienced and presented their attitudes and interpretations concerning those cases. The raw data were analysed by competent judges who defined a posteriori important categories that were useful for understanding the psychosocial mechanisms of cyberbullying and important dimensions of its prevention. The results proved a clear connection between participation in offline and online peer violence. The analysis of the statements showed that public/private types of cyberbullying involve different psychological and social mechanisms. Our findings confirm the importance of empathy as the buffering factor in cyberbullying perpetration. In addition, the limitations and inadequacy of the support and interventions offered by adults in cyberbullying cases have been emphasised in teens' testimonies. The results may constitute grounds for formulating recommendations on the prevention of cyberbullying in the school context, taking into account the perspective of all actors involved.

Distance learning in higher education during COVID-19: The role of basic psychological needs and intrinsic motivation for persistence and procrastination-a multi-country study.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, higher educational institutions worldwide switched to emergency distance learning in early 2020. The less structured environment of distance learning forced students to regulate their learning and motivation more independently. According to self-determination theory (SDT), satisfaction of the three basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and social relatedness affects intrinsic motivation, which in turn relates to more active or passive learning behavior. As the social context plays a major role for basic need satisfaction, distance learning may impair basic need satisfaction and thus intrinsic motivation and learning behavior. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between basic need satisfaction and procrastination and persistence in the context of emergency distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic in a cross-sectional study. We also investigated the mediating role of intrinsic motivation in this relationship. Furthermore, to test the universal importance of SDT for intrinsic motivation and learning behavior under these circumstances in different countries, we collected data in Europe, Asia and North America. A total of N = 15,462 participants from Albania, Austria, China, Croatia, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Iceland, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Poland, Malta, North Macedonia, Romania, Sweden, and the US answered questions regarding perceived competence, autonomy, social relatedness, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, persistence, and sociodemographic background. Our results support SDT's claim of universality regarding the relation between basic psychological need fulfilment, intrinsic motivation, procrastination, and persistence. However, whereas perceived competence had the highest direct effect on procrastination and persistence, social relatedness was mainly influential via intrinsic motivation.

Adolescent well-being and learning in times of COVID-19-A multi-country study of basic psychological need satisfaction, learning behavior, and the mediating roles of positive emotion and intrinsic motivation.

The sudden switch to distance education to contain the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally altered adolescents' lives around the globe. The present research aims to identify psychological characteristics that relate to adolescents' well-being in terms of positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and key characteristics of their learning behavior in a situation of unplanned, involuntary distance education. Following Self-Determination Theory, experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness were assumed to relate to active learning behavior (i.e., engagement and persistence), and negatively relate to passive learning behavior (i.e., procrastination), mediated via positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation. Data were collected via online questionnaires in altogether eight countries from Europe, Asia, and North America (N = 25,305) and comparable results across countries were expected. Experienced competence was consistently found to relate to positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, and, in turn, active learning behavior in terms of engagement and persistence. The study results further highlight the role of perceived relatedness for positive emotion. The high proportions of explained variance speak in favor of taking these central results into account when designing distance education in times of COVID-19.

Sexism and its associated factors among adolescents in Europe: Lights4Violence baseline results.

Despite the efforts of recent decades to reduce gender inequality, sexism is still prevalent among adolescents. The objective of this study was to identify the main socioeconomic characteristics, personal experiences, resources, and competencies associated with sexism in a sample of adolescents from different European countries. Baseline data from the Lights4Violence project included 1555 students ages 12-17 from secondary schools in six European countries (Spain, Italy, Romania, United Kingdom, Portugal, and Poland). Linear regression models were carried out, stratified by sex for benevolent (BS) and hostile (HS) dimensions of the Ambivalent Sexism Inventory. The average age of the sample was 14.3 years (SD = 1.5), 59.3% were girls. Boys scored higher on the measure of sexism (mean BS = 29.7; HS = 29.1) than girls (BS = 27.5, HS = 23.0; p < .001). Girls whose mothers had a university degree reported lower BS (ß = -0.113; p = .023) (reference: lower education). Girls who had experienced dating violence reported higher HS (ß = .080; p = .010) than those who had never been in an intimate relationship. For both sexes, high aggressiveness was associated with high levels of HS, and high aggressiveness was related to high levels of BS in boys. High assertiveness was associated with high levels of BS in both sexes and with high levels of HS in boys. A high level of problem-solving ability was associated with lower HS in both sexes. The study reinforces the need to invest in school programs aimed at preventing dating violence and promoting positive youth development.

Dating Violence Victimization among Adolescents in Europe: Baseline Results from the Lights4Violence Project.

Dating violence (DV) among adolescents is a public health issue because of its negative health consequences. In this study, we aimed to analyse the prevalence and the psychosocial and socioeconomic risk and protective factors associated DV among male and female adolescents in Europe. It was performed a cross-sectional study based on a non-probabilistic sample of 1555 students aged 13-16 years (2018-2019). The global prevalence of DV victimization was significantly greater among girls than boys (girls: 34.1%, boys: 26.7%; p = 0.012). The prevalence of DV in both girls and boys was greater for those over age 15 (girls: 48.5% p < 0.001; boys: 35.9%; p = 0.019). There was an increased likelihood of DV victimization among girls whose fathers did not have paid employment (p = 0.024), who suffered abuse in childhood, and reported higher Benevolent Sexism [PR (CI 95%): 1.01 (1.00-1.03)] and machismo [1.02 (1.00-1.05)]. In the case of boys, the likelihood of DV increased with abuse in childhood (p = 0.018), lower parental support [0.97 (0.96-0.99)], high hostile sexism scores (p = 0.019), lower acceptance of violence (p = 0.009) and high machismo (p < 0.001). Abuse in childhood was shown to be the main factor associated with being a victim of DV in both population groups, as well as sexism and machismo attitudes. These results may contribute to future DV prevention school programs for both, teenagers and children of elementary school ages.

The Role of School Social Support and School Social Climate in Dating Violence Victimization Prevention among Adolescents in Europe.

The aim of the article is to show the role of school social support and school social climate in dating violence victimization prevention among adolescents in Europe. Study participants were students from secondary schools (age 13-16) in Spain, Italy, Romania, Portugal, Poland and UK. The analysis in this text concern student with dating experience (n = 993) (57.2% of girls and 66.5% of boys). School social support was measured by School Social Climate, Factor 1 Scale (CECSCE) and by Student Social Support Scale (CASSS), subscales teachers and classmates. The association between school social support and different types of dating victimization (physical and/or sexual dating violence, control dating violence and fear) was measured by calculating the prevalence ratios and their 95% confidence intervals, estimated by Poisson regression models with robust variance. All the models were adjusted by country and by sociodemographic variables. The results show that the average values of all types of social support are significantly lower in young people who have suffered any type of dating violence or were scared of their partner. The likelihood of suffering physical and/or sexual dating violence decreased when school social support increased [PR (CI 95%): 0.96 (0.92; 0.99)]. In the same way, the likelihood of fear decreased when school social climate increased [PR (CI 95%): 0.98 (0.96; 0.99)].There is an association between school social support and school social climate and experiences of being victim of dating violence among adolescents in Europe. Our results suggest that in the prevention of dating violence building a supportive climate at schools and building/using the support of peers and teachers is important.

Should we adjust health education methodology to low-educated employees needs? Findings from Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Spain.

OBJECTIVES: The presented study explored health beliefs and experiences as well as health education needs of low-educated employees (LEEs) (incomplete primary, primary, lower secondary and basic vocational education) in comparison to those with higher education (secondary and tertiary education) in four European countries: Latvia, Poland, Slovenia and Spain. The main aim was to identify a specificity of low-educated employees (LEEs) by capturing their opinions, experiences, attitudes and needs concerning health education. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The sample consisted of 1691 individuals with the status of an employee (approximately 400 respondents in each of 4 countries participating in the project). The respondents were aged 25-54 (both the control group and the target group consisted in 1/3 of the following age groups: 25-34, 35-44 and 45-54). The respondents were interviewed during the years 2009 and 2010 with a structured questionnaire concerning their health, health behaviours as well as educational needs concerning health education. RESULTS: The study revealed substantial differences in the attitudes of people from this group concerning methodology of health education. LEEs prefer more competitions and campaigns and less written educational materials in comparison to those with higher education. Additionally, they more often perceive a fee, longer time, necessity to take part in a knowledge test and a concern that their health will be checked as factors that can discourage them from taking part in a health training. On the other hand, LEEs can by encouraged to take part in such a training by a media broadcast concerning the event, snacks or lottery during the training, or financial incentives. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the study proved the need for specific health education guidelines to conduct health education for low-educated employees. These guidelines should take in account the sources of health education preferred by LEEs as well as the factors that can encourage/discourage their participation in trainings concerning health.

[Experienced bullying and hostile behavior in the workplace and symptoms of burnout in teachers]. / Doswiadczanie mobbingu i wrogich zachowan w miejscu pracy a wystepowanie objawów wypalenia zawodowego u nauczycieli.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the study was to assess the relationship between the exposure to workplace bullying and hostile behavior and occupational burnout in a sample of Polish teachers. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In our research we studied a nationwide random sample of 1214 teachers. The frequency and type of hostile behaviors against employees was measured with the use of MDM Questionnaire, ("Mobbing, dreczenie, molestowanie" - "Bullying, harrasement, maltreatment") by Moscicka, Drabek, Merecz, developed in the Department of Occupational Psychology of the Nofer Institute of Occupational Medicine in Lódz (Poland), and the level of burnout was assessed with Maslach Burnout Inventory - General Survey (MBI-GS). RESULTS: As many as 63% of teachers experienced hostile behavior in their workplace and 7% of them experienced workplace bullying. Employees affected by bullying and hostile behavior reported more symptoms of professional burnout, such as emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and lower level of professional efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of teachers in this study experienced some form of hostile behavior in the workplace. One in ten respondents was the subject of workplace bullying. The experience of hostile behavior and bullying at work was significantly connected with symptoms of professional burnout. Therefore, it is desirable to take care of good interpersonal relationships in educational institutions, strengthen teachers' abilities to cope with difficult interpersonal situations, and implement procedures to prevent bullying and hostile behavior in the workplace.

[Psychosocial burdens in teaching proffession--initial results of Questionnaire of Occupational Burdens in Teaching (QOBT)]. / Obciazenia psychospoleczne w zawodzie pedagoga--wstepne wyniki badan uzyskane kwestionariuszem obciazen zawodowych pedagoga (KOZP).

BACKGROUND: This article presents the results obtained using a new tool for measuring psychosocial burdens in teaching profession--the Questionnaire of Occupational Burdens in Teaching (QOBT). In its first theoretical part, some typologies of stressors in teaching, developed in other countries, are presented and the need to construct a new tool in Poland is discussed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: In this part, the construction process of the new tool and its three scales comprising: Conflict Situations, Organizational Burdens and Lack of Work Sense are described. The psychometric features of the new questionnaire (e.g., Cronbach a = 0.63-0.84) are also given. The results are based on a large random sample of teachers from the Lódz voivodeship. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results did not show significant differences in the level of occupational burdens between men and women. Generally, neither are seniority and age related to the level of burdens. One exception are Organizational burdens that slightly more affect older teachers. The study also showed the need to incorporate the activities at the organizational level into programs on occupational stress.

[Teachers' psychosocial burdens at work resulting from student misbehavior]. / Obciazenia psychospoleczne w miejscu pracy pedagoga zwiazane z niewlasciwymi zachowaniami uczniów.

BACKGROUND: In the paper psychosocial burdens in the teaching profession, resulting from the misbehavior of students, are presented. They are analyzed in a broader context, taking account of occupational stress and its health consequences teachers are exposed to. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The given data present the outcome of the syrvey conducted on a representative sample of teachers (n = 429) from the Lódz voivodeship. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The results show that student misbehavior (in milder forms) is quite frequent in teacher's workplace. Severe misbehavior, e.g., vulgar language, verbal aggression toward teachers or other students, was rather rare Younger and male teachers were more frequently exposed to student misbehavior. In addition, it correlated positively with social support received from teacher's colleagues. The results of the survey emphasize the need to identify student misbehavior problems in terms of teacher's occupational stress. The need to assure social support for teachers should also be taken into account in their workplace health promotion programs.

Opinions of Polish occupational medicine physicians on workplace health promotion.

OBJECTIVES: According to the current Polish legislation on occupational health services, occupational medicine physicians should perform workplace health promotion (WHP) activities as a part of their professional work. The concept of workplace health promotion or health promotion programs, however, has not been defined in this legislation in any way. Therefore, two essential questions arise. First, what is the physicians' attitude towards workplace health issues and second, what is actually carried out under the label of health promotion? The main objective of the research described in this paper was to answer these questions. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The survey was carried out by the National Center for Workplace Health Promotion in 2002. A questionnaire prepared by the Center for the purpose of this survey was sent to a random sample of occupational medicine physicians. RESULTS: The results of the survey showed that 53% of occupational medicine physicians consider WHP just as a new name for prophylactics. On the other hand almost all of the respondents (94%) agree that occupational medicine physicians should perform WHP activities and find them useful in improving patients' health (78%). The main obstacle for the development of this activity in the perception of physicians is the lack of interest in workplace health promotion among employers (86%). CONCLUSIONS: In the modern understanding of workplace health promotion concept this type of intervention includes not only safety measures and health education, but also a profound organizational change that allows employers, employees and social partners to improve wellbeing of people at work. Each of such projects should facilitate changes necessary to create a health promoting workplace. It also needs a skilled leader--well trained and aware of a multidisciplinary dimension of WHP interventions. Occupational medicine specialists should become natural partners of employers and employees. The majority of the occupational medicine physicians, however, are not sufficiently prepared to carry out workplace health promotion programs.

[Health promotion activities of occupational medicine physicians at the workplace]. / Aktywnosc lekarzy sluzby medycyny pracy w zakresie promowania zdrowia pracujacych.

BACKGROUND: The authors address the issue of workplace health promotion (WHP) activities among occupational medicine physicians in Poland. In the analysis performed the provisions of the Occupational Health Services Act as well as the conclusions inferred from the most recent WHP survey were taken into account. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The data presented in this paper result from the 2002 survey carried out by the National Centre for Workplace Health Promotion on a random sample of 325 occupational medicine physicians. RESULTS: The survey revealed that occupational medicine physicians mostly prefer individual-oriented activities such as health education of individual patients during medical examinations (86%), typically medical interventions like vaccinations (71%), or comprehensive medical checkups (53%). A modern concept of the WHP-related activities is not so popular. For example, health education for large groups of employees is undertaken by 16% of physicians, comprehensive health-related behavior-modification programs by 7%, and projects with the participation of local communities by only 3%. CONCLUSIONS: The majority of occupational medicine physicians do not implement the workplace health promotion in line with the modern concept of activities in this domain. They focus more on health education and medical prophylactics. There is a need to provide this group of physicians with a comprehensive training to develop their skills to initiate and coordinate setting-oriented projects and thus advance their activities in this field.

[Stressors in the teacher's workplace]. / Stresory w srodowisku pracy pedagoga.

Psychosocial stressors are common problem affecting social functioning and health in many social groups. A great variety of stressors affect people working in auxiliary professions. Those stressors may induce professional burnout. The article outlines differences and similarities between Maslach burnout construct and a few concepts of stress. It also gives the literature review concerning job stressors in teachers. A wider view on teaching profession from the perspective of social sciences aims at deepened diagnosis and therapy in the context of psychiatric disturbances and constitutes the basis for planing and implementing environmental programmes of health promotion for this profession. Such perspective is consistent with the latest decisions of European Union.

[Burnout, health and health behavior in teachers employed in correction institutions]. / Wypalenie zawodowe a zdrowie i zachowania zdrowotne pedagogów placówek resocjalizacyjnych.

Psychosocial factors present in the workplace of people performing helping professions may cause burnout. Many studies have shown that burnout variables are related to demographic variables, as well as to health and health behavior measured in different ways. In this study the focus was put on the burnout in teachers employed in correctional institutions. Contrary to the results of many studies, burnout has not been related to gender or duration of employment. There were positive correlations between emotional exhaustion, frequency (r = 0.29) and intensity (r = 0.19) of somatic complaints. Negative health behaviors and psychosomatic diseases diagnosed by physicians were not related to burnout variables. The results imply that there is a need to incorporate new variables (e.g. personality and temperament) into the research on burnout.