Relationship between Physical Activity Habits, Aggressive Behaviour and Cyberbullying among Young Adult University Students

Abstract

This study examined the relationship between physical activity habits, aggression, and cyberbullying behaviours among young adult university students. The study was conducted using a convenience sample, and the reliability of the scales was found to be acceptable (α=0.792, α=0.783). The study group consisted of 526 young adult university students who participated in all types of variable-rate (activity duration) and variable-interval (non-periodic) physical activity. While the majority of participants were in the normal BMI range, those who were mildly obese and obese constituted a significant proportion. The predominant motivations for engaging in physical activity were health and fitness, suggesting that these motivations should be considered when designing physical activity programmes. The study revealed no statistically significant difference between gender and participation in physical activity on aggression and cyberbullying, consistent with recent evidence that digital anonymity reduces gender-based aggression patterns. Furthermore, older participants (25-30 years) exhibited marginally higher levels of aggression (M=2.78) compared to their younger peers (M=2.73; p=0.022). The correlation between aggression and cyberbullying was found to be weak (r=.063, p<0.05), and the regression model was non-significant (R2=.004, R2Adj=.002), thus emphasising the multifactorial nature of cyberbullying, which may be attributed to factors such as moral detachment and online anonymity. These findings provide a compelling argument for the implementation of interventions aimed at cultivating digital empathy and the provision of structured physical programmes. Additionally, the necessity for intersectional research to unravel the intricate interplay of cultural and contextual influences on online aggression is underscored.

Keywords

• Aggression behaviour
• Cyberbullying
• Physical activity habits
• Unıversity students
• Young adults

Yetişkin Üniversite Öğrencilerinde Fiziksel Aktivite Alışkanlıkları, Saldırgan Davranışlar ve Siber Zorbalık Arasındaki İlişki

Öz

Bu çalışma, genç yetişkin üniversite öğrencileri arasında fiziksel aktivite alışkanlıkları, saldırganlık ile siber zorbalık davranışları arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemektedir. Araştırma kolayda örnekleme yöntemi ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ölçeklerin güvenilirliği (α=0.792, α=0.783) kabul edilebilir düzeydedir. Çalışma grubu değişken oranlı (etkinlik süresi) ve değişken aralıklı (periyodik olmayan) fiziksel aktivitenin tüm türlerine katılan 526 genç yetişkin üniversite öğrencisidir. Katılımcıların büyük çoğunluğu normal BKİ aralığında olmakla birlikte, hafif şişman ve şişman bireyler de önemli bir oran oluşturmaktadır. Fiziksel aktivitelere katılma amaçları arasında sağlık ve fit olmak ön plandadır, bu da fiziksel aktivite programlarının tasarlanmasında bu motivasyonların dikkate alınması gerektiğini göstermektedir. Sonuçlar cinsiyet ve fiziksel aktiviteye katılımın saldırganlık ve siber zorbalık üzerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir fark olmadığını ortaya koymuş ve dijital anonimliğin cinsiyete dayalı saldırganlık kalıplarını azalttığına dair son kanıtlarla uyum sağlamıştır. Yaşlı katılımcılar (25-30 yaş) genç akranlarına (M=2.73; p=0.022) kıyasla marjinal olarak daha yüksek saldırganlık (M=2.78) sergilemiştir. Saldırganlık ve siber zorbalık arasındaki zayıf korelasyon (r=.063 p<0.05) ve anlamlı olmayan regresyon modeli (R2=.004, R2Adj=.002), siber zorbalığın ahlaki kopukluk ve çevrimiçi anonimlik gibi çok faktörlü köklerini vurgulamıştır. Bu bulgular, dijital empatiyi ve yapılandırılmış fiziksel programları hedefleyen müdahalelerin yanı sıra çevrimiçi saldırganlık üzerindeki kültürel ve bağlamsal etkileri ayrıştırmak için kesişimsel araştırmaları savunmaktadır.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Saldırgan davranış
• Siber zorbalık
• Fiziksel aktivite alışkanlıkları
• Üniversite öğrencileri
• Genç yetişkinler

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