Cyber victimization reports between parents and children: an examination of agreement predictors

Cyber victimization (CV) is on the rise in the United States, underscoring the need for parent–child communication about online experiences. This study examined parent–child agreement regarding CV and explored factors contributing to discrepancies. The sample included 231 youth in grades 4 to 12 (56% female) at a suburban school district in the Northeast U.S. and their parents. Parent-child dyads were surveyed about children's CV experiences, including receiving or being the subject of hurtful texts and email messages, being the subject of mean or hurtful posts on social media, being impersonated online, and receiving mean messages in Google Classroom. Children and their parents were also asked about child internalizing problems, digital media use, and parent stress during COVID-19. Results revealed low overall agreement regarding CV, with a Cohen's kappa of 0.18. Agreement was relatively higher for incidents involving receiving or being the subject of texts and email messages (k = 0.22 to 0.26) and lower for incidents occurring on social media (k = 0.08). Child's internalizing symptoms, such as anxiety and depression, and parental stress during the COVID-19 pandemic were associated with lower agreement about CV. This study also offers practical recommendations for parents on how to communicate effectively with their children about CV, as well as guidance for school and mental health professionals on how to support families.