Las tecnologías digitales como medio para la expresión del comportamiento agresivo en adolescentes

Abstract

The aims were to explore: a) the perception of social interactions mediated by digital technology that adolescents in situation of vulnerability have and b) the participants’ aggressive behavior through digital technologies. A qualitative method with focus groups was used. The participants were 123 12-to-18-year-old school adolescents attending a low socioeconomic level state secondary school in San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina. The participants’ living conditions are highly vulnerable. 12 focus groups were formed by selecting six classes out of the twelve that the institution has. The categories that emerged in the focus groups were: a) a healthy use of technology, b) a harmful use: cyberbullying, violation of privacy, harassment, grooming, happy slapping, impersonation, cyber aggression; and c) whom to turn to in case of aggression. Different conceptualizations are interpreted based on the participants’ accounts, emphasizing the fact that they do not always notice the power of replicating messages, the speed of the flow of information, the effect of anonymous sending that discredits a subject, the confusion between a prank and harm; essentially, the lack of insight into how the boundaries between public and private aspects are erased stands out.  It is concluded that this new form of communication boosts aggressive behavior in adolescents.

Key words: aggressive behavior – adolescents – situation of vulnerability - Internet