IAHRW International Journal of Social Sciences Review

Kirandeep Kaur ¹, Damanjit Sandhu ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN

Abstract

Cyber bullying refers to the use of information and communication technologies like emails, mobile phones, social networking sites , text messages etc. to support deliberate, repeated and hostile behavior of a group or an individual that is intended to harm other person. It is anti-social behavior on the internet. Cyber bullying is a global issue and its consequences are far reaching. The present study examined the mental and emotional health of cyber bullying victims in terms of anxiety, depression, positive well-being, self-control, general health and vitality and explored the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in enhancing their mental and emotional health. It was hypothesized that cyber-bullying victims will exhibit poor mental and emotional health in comparison to their peers. And further, that cognitive behavioral therapy will be effective in enhancing the mental and emotional health of cyber bullying victims. The study was conducted in three phases. In the first phase of the study, adolescents with cyber bullying experiences were identified. In the second phase, they were tested for their mental and emotional health and they were found to be having poor mental and emotional health in comparison to their peers. And in the final phase of the study, they were given cognitive behavioral therapy sessions which proved to be very effective in enhancing the mental and emotional health of cyber bullying victims.

Keywords

Cyber Bullying, Mental and Emotional Health, Victims, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.

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Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Kirandeep Kaur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

The present study analyzes the role of interpersonal relationships and coping in adolescent behaviour problems. The sample for this study comprised of 250 male participants (age range 14-15 years), randomly selected from various schools of Patiala city. Revised Behavior Problem Checklist was used for studying behaviour disorders in adolescents (conduct disorder and socialized aggression). Clinical Assessment of Interpersonal Relationships was used to measure the perceptions of adolescents regarding the quality of their relationships with mother, father, male peers, female peers and teachers. Adolescent Coping Scale was used to measure the coping abilities of adolescents in terms of 18 coping strategies within three styles of coping; problem-focused coping, coping with reference to others and non-productive coping. Pearson's Product Moment Correlation analysis revealed that conduct disorder is inversely correlated with functional relationship with mother, male peers and teachers and socialized aggression is inversely correlated with functional relationship with mother and teachers. Out of the coping dimensions, 'focus on the positive' has significant negative correlation with socialized aggression. 'Invest in close friends', 'not coping', tension reduction', 'self blame' and 'keep to self' have significant positive correlation with conduct disorder. It has also been found that 'tension reduction' and 'self blame' have significant positive correlation with socialized aggression. The Step-Wise Multiple Regression Analysis results revealed that relationship with mother and male peer contribute negatively towards conduct disorder. Relationship with mother and teacher contribute negatively towards socialized aggression. Further results showed that coping dimensions namely 'not coping' and 'tension reduction' contribute positively towards conduct disorder and 'Tension reduction' contribute positively towards socialized aggression.

Keywords

Behavioral Problems, Interpersonal Relationship, Coping, Adolescents.

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Shubhdip Kaur ¹, Damanjit Sandhu ², Haroon Shafiq ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN
2 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

The position of Social Sciences in today's society is not satisfactory. Promoting young researchers in long term social research is difficult. The aim of this investigation was to study the perceived status of social sciences in today's society from its pursuers' perspective. The study focused primarily on students pursuing any of the social sciences at masters or higher levels. Around 100 students within the age range of 22-30 years from various colleges or universities were surveyed. The results obtained revealed that most of the pursuers had experienced society's narrow vision towards their subjects. Due to the perception of society towards these subjects, these pursuers feel that there is no positive scope for social sciences in our society. Surprisingly around 91% of the pursuers were satisfied with their streams. Thus although there is little societal acceptance for the subjects of social sciences its pursuers acknowledge their subjects fully and have high acceptance for them. They are just disappointed with the lack of awareness society and people have regarding the importance of social sciences. But the truth is that the role of social sciences cannot be negated, for theirs is a role of healthy nation building. The need is to bring in spotlight their contributions and how their research outcomes can be used to improve our society.

Keywords

Social Sciences, Society, Pursuers, Research.

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Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Shubhdip Kaur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

Adolescents with childhood histories often have cognitive distortions and biases regarding social world. The present study aimed to investigate differences in interpersonal relationships of adolescents abused during childhood from the adolescents having no such histories. 1557 adolescents (aged 15 18 years) from various areas of Punjab (India) were screened for childhood abuse through Childhood Trauma Questionnaire. Two groups (one abused and other non-abused) each comprising 100 adolescents were formed. To investigate the group differences all adolescents were administered Clinical Assessment of Interpersonal Relationships. Significant group differences emerged over this measure. The study stressed that the adolescents with childhood histories of abuse, in comparison to the non-abused group, tend to display more problems in interpersonal relations with parents, peers and teachers. Childhood abuse have made adolescents to enter their social world with faulty perceptions, faulty self-image and cognitive distortions which have entirely shaped the way they define themselves and their world, thereby affecting badly their interpersonal relationships with significant persons.

Keywords

Childhood Abuse, Adolescents, Interpersonal Relationships.

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Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Damanjeet Kaur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, IN

Abstract

The primary purpose of this study was to examine the gender differences in adolescent identity formation across the four identity statuses (identity achievement, moratorium, foreclosure and diffusion). The participants were comprised of 200 girls and 200 boys of age ranging between 15-17 years from the urban schools of Patiala. The study was conducted using the Extended Objective Measure of Ego Identity Status-2 (EOMEIS-2) by Bennion and Adams, 1986. The t-test analysis conducted between both the genders and the four identity statuses revealed significant gender differences across all the four identity statuses. Also, the mean scores illustrated that girls were high on identity achievement and foreclosure as compared to boys and the boys were high on identity diffusion and moratorium in comparison to girls. The study contributed to Indian literature in adolescent identity formation by exploring four statuses and gender differences in adolescents which helped in throwing light on the current scenario of Punjab.

Keywords

Identity Formation, Adolescents, Gender.

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Kirandeep Kaur ¹, Shubhdip Kaur ¹, Damanjit Sandhu ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

Cyber bullying is an aggressive act or behaviour that is carried out using electronic means by a group or an individual repeatedly over time against a victim who cannot easily defend himself or herself. The present investigation focused upon gauging the impact of cyber bullying on adolescent's (within the age range of 13 to 16 years) mental health and over all wellbeing. The study also aimed to explore gender differences in cyber bullying victimization. At first the subjects were screened for possible cyber bullying victimization. Later focus group discussions were conducted with adolescents having the experiences of cyber victimization. The results showed that cyber bullying tends to have detrimental effects on the physical, mental, emotional and social health of adolescent pupils, and it has far reaching negative impact on their overall wellbeing. Further, both boys and girls may have equal chances of being targeted by the cyber bullies.

Keywords

Cyber Bullying, Well Being, Adolescents, Cyber Victimization.

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Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Gurveer Kaur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

The aim of this study was find out if there is a significant relationship between cyber pornography consumption and loneliness. Data was collected from a sample of 300 adolescent pupils using two scales UCLA loneliness scale and Cyber Pornography Use Inventory (CPUI). Pearson Product Moment Correlation method was used to analyze the data. The results of this study revealed that there is a significant relationship between consumption of cyber pornography and loneliness among adolescent pupils.

Keywords

Cyber Pornography, Loneliness, Adolescent Pupils, Consumption.

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Veena Bhatt ¹, Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Kirandeep Kaur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

This paper highlights the role of family communication in adolescent risk-taking. Family communication is defined as the act of making information, ideas, thoughts and feelings known among members of a family unit. Family communication can range from poor to very effective. How family members communicate their thoughts and feelings, particularly at times when they are attempting to resolve a stressful problem or assist one another in achieving personal goals, is important in adolescents' ability to cope with stressful situations and their likelihood of involvement in health behaviours and risk taking. Parent-child communication is an effective way of reducing unhealthy behaviors in adolescents. Children who do not receive warmth or care from their parents and who have disturbed communication patterns are more likely to have lower self-esteem, academic problems, and emotional troubles. They are also more likely to indulge in various kinds of health risk behaviors for example, drug use, eating disorders and participation in risky sexual behaviors. Thus, family communication is viewed as a strong predictor of adolescents' involvement in health risk behaviours.

Keywords

Family, Communication, Adolescents, Risk Taking, Health Behaviours.

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Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Kirandeep Kaur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

Background: In spite of the growing concern about the effects of cyber bullying on youth, to date only a few studies have investigated this phenomenon among secondary school samples. Consequently, very little is known about the nature of cyber bullying and its impacts on the secondary school students. Objectives: The purpose of the present study was to examine the prevalence and nature of cyber bullying among a sample of secondary school students and also to determine whether significant differences existed between the mental and emotional health of cyber bullied and non-cyber bullied students. Method: A total of 357, 11th and 12th grade students in six schools completed the requisite measures. Descriptive statistics were used to determine the prevalence and nature of cyber bullying and t-test was used to find the differences between the mental and emotional health of cyber bullied and non-cyber bullied students. Results: The findings of the study revealed that a substantial number of youth (52.10%;n=186) reported being cyber victimized, predominantly through social networking sites. Only 12% of cyber victimized youth knew the identity of the perpetrator and almost 42 % reported that they did not tell anyone about the incident. Results also revealed that the cyber victimized youths reported significantly poor mental and emotional health in comparison to non cyber victimized youths. Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest the need for developmentally appropriate prevention and intervention programs implemented at the secondary school level if efforts to address this growing complex problem have to be successful.

Keywords

Cyber Bullying, Secondary School Children, Social Networking Sites, Mental.

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Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Gurveer Kaur ¹, Kirandeep Kaur ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate prevalence and gender differences in consumption of cyber pornography among adolescent pupils. This study was conducted using a representative sample of 344 (172 males & 172 females) adolescent pupils (aged 15-18 years). Cyber pornography use inventory (CPUI) was used to get the data from the sample. Descriptive statistics and t-test were used to analyze the data. Results of the study revealed that a large number of adolescent pupils (82.7%) consumed cyber pornography and there existed significant gender differences between male and female adolescent pupils in context of cyber pornography consumption. Results also revealed that male adolescent pupils were more likely to consume cyber pornography in comparison to female adolescent pupils.

Keywords

Cyber Pornography, Gender Differences, Adolescent Pupils, Consumption of Cyber Pornography.

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Waktole Demisew Hirpa ¹, Damanjit Sandhu ², Kirandeep Kaur ²

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab, IN
2 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

Bullying is a repeated behavior by one or more individuals that are intended to inflict physical and psychological harm to and social isolation of one or more victims through physical, verbal, and relational aggression for an extended period of time. Involvement in bullying can have serious and long-term consequences for both the victim and the bully. Though there are variations in reporting the magnitude, almost all studies agree that school bullying is a widespread problem. Accordingly, the purpose of the present study is to estimate the prevalence rate of bullying victimization and to examine the adjustment correlates of bullying victimization among elementary school students of Ethiopia. 809 (50.2 % male and 49.8 % female) students from grades 6 and 7 aged between 11 to 18 years were sampled from a total of 8 elementary schools using multistage sampling technique. 95.4 % of the participants were from Oromo ethnic group, 3.3 % from Amhara and the remaining 1.3 % from other ethnic groups. Data were collected using: 1) The Revised Olweus Bully/Victimization Questionnaire; and 2) Bell's Adjustment Inventory. It is reported that 37.6 % of the participants were bully victimized. Higher proportions of male students were bully victimized than female students, 2(1, n = 808) = 3.993, p<.05. There was a strong, negative correlation between bullying victimization and adjustment, which was statistically significant (r = -.351, n = 796, p = .000). It can be concluded that bullying victimization is common in Ethiopian elementary schools and highly negatively associated with pupils' adjustment.

Keywords

Adjustment, Bullying, Health, Home, Social, Emotional, Victimization.

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Damanjit Sandhu ¹, Kirandeep Kaur ¹, Waktole Demisew Hirpa ¹

Affiliations
1 Department of Psychology, Punjabi University, Patiala, Punjab, IN

Abstract

Bullying refers to repeated behaviour by one or more individuals that are intended to impose physical and psychological harm to and social isolation of one or more victims through physical, verbal, and relational aggression for an extended period of time. Involvement in bullying as a victim is associated with impaired psychological well-being. Almost all studies of school bullying agree that it is a widespread problem; however, there are variations in reporting the magnitude. In line with this, the objective of the current study is to estimate the prevalence rate of bullying victimization and to investigate the psychological well-being correlates of bullying victimization among elementary school students of Ethiopia and India. A total of 2,377 (1,156 male & 1,221 female) students aged between 11 to 18 years from India (n=l 568; 428 Males & 496 Females ) and Ethiopia (n=809; 406 Males & 403 Females) were sampled from a total of 13 schools (5 Indian schools & 8 Ethiopian schools) using multistage and random sampling techniques. Data were collected using: 1) The Revised Olweus Bully /Victimization Questionnaire; and 2) Friedman Well-being Scale. It is found that 37.6% of the participants in Ethiopia were bully victimized against 39.9% in India. Though slightly higher proportions of male pupils were bully victimized in Ethiopia, significantly higher proportions of female pupils were bully victimized in India. Strong and significant negative correlations were found between bullying victimization and psychological well-being for both the countries. It can be concluded from the findings of the study that bullying victimization is prevalent in both Ethiopian and Indian schools and is negatively associated with psychological well-being of pupils. The results of the study are discussed in terms of their implications for school practice and future research directions.

Keywords

Bullying, Victimization, Psychological Well-Being.

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