The Emotional Impact on Victims of Traditional Bullying and Cyberbullying A Study of Spanish Adolescents Rosario Ortega, 1 Paz Elipe, 2 Joaquín A. Mora-Merchán, 3 Juan Calmaestra, 1 and Esther Vega 1 1 Department of Psychology, University of Córdoba, Spain 2 Department of Psychology, University of Jaén, Spain 3 Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, University of Seville, Spain Abstract. We examine the emotional impact caused to victims of bullying in its traditional form, both directly and indirectly, as well as bullying inflicted by use of new technologies such as mobile phones and the Internet. A sample of 1,671 adolescents and young people responded to a questionnaire which asked if they had been victims of various forms of bullying, as well as the emotions this caused. The results show that although traditional bullying affected significantly more young people than cyberbullying, the latter affected one in ten adolescents. Analysis of the emotions caused showed that traditional bullying produced a wide variety of impacts, with the victims being divided into five different emotional categories, while indirect bullying and cyberbullying presented a narrower variety of results with the victims being classifiable into just two groups: Those who said that they had not been emotionally affected and those who simultaneously suffered from a wide variety of negative emotions. The influence of age, gender, and severity on each emotional category is also analyzed. Keywords: bullying, cyberbullying, emotions, victimization, adolescents There is broad agreement that bullying can be defined as a form of aggression that occurs when an individual or group intimidates, excludes, harasses, or mistreats, another or oth- ers, directly (physically or verbally) or indirectly (threats, insults, isolation, destruction, or theft of belongings, etc.) (Olweus, 1999). A complex power imbalance arises among those involved, making it difficult for victims to defend themselves. Episodes are intentionally repeated over time until they constitute a relational problem and also one for the coexistence of those involved (Ortega & Mora-Mercha ´n, 2000, 2008). When victims manage to defend themselves promptly, pathological relationships and dependence on the aggressor are diminished and negative effects may be minor. This, in fact, is what many victims do. However, when extended over a period of months, and if the victim finds no help or support, then the phenomenon can become particularly negative and the effects on the mental health of victims extremely pernicious (Aluede, Adeleke, Omoike, & Afen-Akpaida, 2008; Dyer & Teggart, 2007). Victims of bullying always are affected by any vulnera- bility, but this could be mediated by diverse conditions and factors (Hunter & Borg, 2006; Kochenderfer-Ladd, 2004; Kochenderfer-Ladd & Ladd, 2001). Frequently, internalized fear may accompany the feeling of being defenseless, while an angry and reactive fear may feed a stress reaction. Stress, itself associated with reactive emotions such as anger, may support an attitude of either confrontation or avoidance and flight (Lazarus, 2000). Some victims show an adaptive resilience which allows them to soften the emotional impact of aggression. It is possible that this gives them the emo- tional strength to allow them to manage this adverse situa- tion successfully (Christle, Jolivette, & Nelson, 2000; Schwartz, Proctor, & Chien, 2001). Others, however, expe- rience negative feelings over which they have little control and which affect their well-being and influence the environ- ment in which they develop and relate to others (Graham & Juvonen, 2001). Over recent years the phenomenon of bullying has become more complex in view of the widespread use of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) by adolescents and young people. This has opened a new line of research on cyberbullying. In Spain, a nationwide study by the Defensor Del Pueblo-UNICEF (2006), which included questions about victimization and aggression using Ó 2009 Hogrefe Publishing Zeitschrift fu ¨ r Psychologie / Journal of Psychology 2009; Vol. 217(4):197–204 DOI: 10.1027/0044-3409.217.4.197