INTEGRATED APPROACH TO EXPLAINING DIGITAL VIOLENCE VICTIMIZATION EXPERIENCES IN SCHOOL MILIEUS

Author

Marlon Mike Toro-Alvarez, Southern Illinois University CarbondaleFollow

Date of Award

8-1-2025

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

Criminology and Criminal Justice

First Advisor

Kochel, Tammy

Abstract

This study investigates digital violence in schools by examining cyberbullying victimization among students in the St. Louis Public Schools system across three distinct periods: pre-pandemic, during the pandemic, and post-pandemic. Grounded in Flag Theory as a key integrative framework, the research incorporates elements from well-established criminological perspectives, including the General Theory of Crime and Routine Activities Theory. This theoretical integration enables a multidimensional analysis of both the stability and transformation of cyberbullying dynamics amid changing social and digital environments. Findings reveal that cyberbullying victimization remained largely stable across all three waves. However, the influence of key predictors shifted over time. Parental supervision consistently emerged as a protective factor, significantly reducing victimization across all periods, although it declined notably in the post-pandemic phase. Time spent online increased sharply during the pandemic and remained elevated afterward, yet its impact on victimization diminished over time, challenging traditional assumptions and suggesting a need for reinterpretation in light of post-pandemic digital behavior. Engagement with delinquent peers decreased across the waves but showed a modest positive effect on victimization in the post-pandemic period. Although the study did not reveal significant indirect effects, the findings underscore the enduring influence of direct social and familial factors on online victimization within school environments. Notably, the research identifies a potential post-pandemic increase in self-control, which aligns with the emerging theoretical notion of new global turning points, where critical events, such as terrorist attacks or public health crises, can reshape stable social behaviors, routines, and individual self-regulation. By mapping these changing patterns, the study deepens our understanding of cyberbullying in an increasingly digital world. It also provides valuable insights for shaping targeted policies and intervention strategies within educational settings in the post-pandemic era.