Cyberhate in adolescents and youths: A systematic review of labels and associated factors

Abstract

Cyberhate in adolescents and youth has recently attracted attention in the scientific literature. Early research has provided relevant information about the characteristics of cyberhate and its associated factors. However, given the rapidly growing scientific literature on cyberhate, it is now necessary to systematically evaluate and integrate the manifold empirical results. Therefore, this research aims to provide a comprehensive and systematised overview of existing findings on the labelling of cyberhate and the factors associated with seeing, being subjected to, and perpetrating it. A systematic review was carried out, based on the PRISMA strategy, of 42 articles that met the established inclusion and exclusion criteria. The results offer evidence of the diverse labels for cyberhate in the scientific literature, especially in recent years, and shed light on the phenomenon. Key factors associated with cyberhate involvement are identified, such as the online context, the normalization of violence, and group norms and behaviours. The results highlight the influence of previous bullying experiences on being subjected to cyberhate, being male on perpetrating it, and the time spent online on seeing it. This review offers a systematized and updated view of the literature on cyberhate published to date; it provides important findings for broader and more inclusive studies, and highlights key factors meriting future research and consideration in psychoeducational prevention programs.