Cyberbullying and suicidal behavior of adolescents

The review is focused on a phenomenon wide-spread among adolescents and youths - cyberbullying that is defined as "an aggressive, deliberate action performed by an individual or a group using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend himself." The situation of bullying in the Internet realm is associated with a wide range of mental health and behavior problems in adolescents - depression, anxiety, low selfesteem, increased risk of substance use, and the formation of suicidal behavior. The review gives a description of the forms and specifics of this phenomenon, the characteristics of motivation and the psychological characteristics of “aggressors” and “victims”. There was a difference in the response of both sexes to the situation of cyberbullying: boys are more prone to externalization, they are more likely to use alcohol and drugs and get engaged into risky behavior. Teenage girls who are cyberbullied are more prone to internalization, show a large number and variety of emotional manifestations and a greater level of psychological maladaptation compared to boys, the risk of suicidal thoughts and attempts is higher. The data available in the literature indicate that victims of cyberbullying significantly have increased frequency of various manifestations of suicidal behavior - thoughts, plans, attempts, compared to the teenagers not involved in the bullying. Victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to commit suicide, while experiencing a feeling of “absolute hopelessness”, the frequency of occurrence of suicidal thoughts and plans is estimated at an average of “2-4 times higher”. This trend is more relevant for teenage girls rather than boys. A lot of scientific research on cyber-bullying is carried out abroad, while in Russia there are few studies, no systematic developments of psychological assistance and behavioral tactics for different participants (victims, peers, adults - parents, teachers) for optimal resolution of bullying situations, prevention and correction of mental health problems. In this aspect, one of the most significant issues is the assessment of the relationship between cyberbullying and suicidal behavior. In the analysis of the reasons leading to suicidal attempts, cyberbullying is not always obvious due to lack of knowledge and awareness of adults who sometimes see such situations as “insignificant” and “not serious”. It can be assumed that the role of bullying as the main cause of suicidal actions, especially in the case of the death of adolescents, is often not recognized and remains “behind the scenes”.