Gender's Differences in Cyberbullying Behavior and Victimization and Perceived Parental Control Before and During the Covid-19 Pandemic

Aim of this study was investigating the relantions between gender and cyberbullying perpetration and victimization before and during the pandemic COVID-19. Parental control was examined as possible moderator of these associations, and the time spent online as mediator of these association during the pandemic COVID-19. A sample of 5658 (48% girls; age: M=13.32 SD: 2.12) students in the fourth grade to the fourth year of upper secondary school answered a survey online investigating their experiences with digital tools and their perceptions of parental control before and during the pandemic COVID-19. During the COVID-19 pandemic girls perpetrated more cyberbullying than boys, during the pre-pandemic period males were more cybervictimised than girls. In mediation and moderated-moderation regression models gender was associated with cyberbullying behavoir and cybervictimization not before and during the pandemic. Parental control moderated the association between gender and cyberbullying before the pandemic, being a protective factor for boys. It was a protective factor, again for males, during the pandemic, given the longer time spent online.Results have been interpreted mainly in light of the differences in use of social media and digital tools for boys and girls and in parental control by children’s gender.