Teenagers against: asymmetric relationship in bullying and cyberbullying. Modernity of Adlerian interpretation

073_Antonio Gatti_Silvana Lerda_Laura Rando_ITA

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Summary. Bullying continues to gain more recognition as an important paediatric, family, psychiatric, and community health issue. Despite the variability in its definition, it is generally considered a specific type of aggression with an imbalance of power, that may take several form. The rapid growth of electronic and computerbased communication during the past decade has dramatically changed social interaction,  especially among teenagers. Cyberbullying has emerged as a new form of bullying and harassment, and it  has been shown to possess different ramifications from traditional school-yard bullying. This article contributes to the existing literature in relation to the definition of bullying and cyberbullying.  Adlerian topics – such as inferiority complex, life style, social interest, family constellation and birth  order, creative self, social school and so on – are of considerable value and usefulness for understanding  bullying and cyberbullying, with particular attention to the relationship-wise asymmetry.  Prevention and intervention strategies for these phenomena are suggested from the adlerian point of  view.