The Relationship between Personal Variables and Perceived Appropriateness of Coping Strategies against Cybervictimisation among Pre-Service Teachers

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

Thank you for the opportunity to review paper entitled “The relationship between personal variables and perceived appropriateness of coping strategies against cybervictimisation among pre-teachers”. With all due respect for the substantial value of the submitted manuscript, I have a few recommendations for improvement.

The article deals with current, sensitive and very important issues.

Two objectives of the study are formulated in subchapter 1.5. In my opinion, this type of contribution requires formulation of specific hypotheses that would increase the scientific significance of the contribution.

Refuting or not refuting of formulated hypotheses subsequently requires support for concrete results of realized statistical tests. In the discussion section, the authors comment on confirming or not confirming their expectations, which I do not consider sufficient.

The manuscript also requires some formal editing and spell checking.

Author Response

Reviewer 1 comments:

Comment 1: Two objectives of the study are formulated in subchapter 1.5. In my opinion, this type of contribution requires formulation of specific hypotheses that would increase the scientific significance of the contribution.

Authors’ answer: Thank you for your kind review. Specific hypotheses are included in each of the objectives of the study.

Comment 2: Refuting or not refuting of formulated hypotheses subsequently requires support for concrete results of realized statistical tests. In the discussion section, the authors comment on confirming or not confirming their expectations, which I do not consider sufficient.

Authors’ answer: Thank you for your comment. Discussion has now been improved following your suggestion. Confirmation or disconfirmation of the hypothesis has now been further discussed considering previous research.

Comment 3: The manuscript also requires some formal editing and spell checking.

Authors’ answer: a formal revision of the manuscript has been performed.

Reviewer 2 Report

The manuscript represents an important contribution and addresses an important issue. However, some improvements are necessary before publication. 

Introduction

Some important affirmations need citations to back them up. For example, "Teacher training plays a key role in achieving this objective." or "so the decisions made by pre-teachers in response to cyberbullying behaviors are highly relevant." 

In literature, "pre-teachers" are often called pre-service teachers"; please check if this could be a more accurate term and increment de visibility of your paper. 

Also, the authors posit that "Understanding the ways in which the characteristics of pre-teachers encourage active intervention....play a fundamental part..." Util this paragraph, the authors have not defined or explained what active intervention is and the importance of this variable so it is difficult to follow the idea. A better literature review in this regard is necessary before establishing the gap in the study. Also, the role of teachers in solving this problem and how they encourage better responses is not clear. 

Coping strategies are mentioned but not defined. I strongly suggest defining all study variables the first time they are mentioned in the manuscript. 

The study highlight bullying statistics among primary students. However, the sample is conformed of pre-teachers or university students. More information about studies on this population is also needed. 

It is important to improve the literature review on the role of teachers in preventing or acting against bullying and cyberbullying. An important body of research was not taken into account about these topics. Also due the results are presented with dimensions of these variables. These dimensions must be included in the literature review. 

Some studies reported in the section on Personal variables related to coping strategies against bullying are focused on students. It is important to add evidence about the adult population. 

All the personal variables related to coping strategies against bullying must be defined. 

The studies about Teachers' beliefs about bullying and cyberbullying are insufficient. 

The authors supported a central idea of their study with only one citation "Active strategies are the most effective in the case of cyberbullying [52]." I strongly suggest that you provide a better foundation for this statement.

Another important issue is that results are present taking into account dimensions of the bullying and cyberbullying episodes, however, the introduction is too general and do not explain how these dimensions are related to the other variables of the study. 

Materials and methods

Information about the sampling is necessary. Also about de socio-economic status of the sample. I suggest providing mean age information by gender. 

Evidence of the validity of the scales is necessary. 

In the introduction, the authors included some variables about emotions like experiences, beliefs about seriousness, etc. However, the scale of emotions measured, pleasant emotions, unpleasant emotions, and moral emotions. This must be clarified in the introductory section.

The procedure for the administration of the questionnaires could be explained in more detail

The writing of the section about data analyses is not clear. An improvement is needed. 

Also, it is important to justify with a citation the cut-off point to consider a strategy as appropriate or a citation to support this decision in the literature or in similar studies.

it is important to report how missing values were treated in the study.

Discussion

It is necessary to contrast the results with more studies and discuss the implications and possible reasons for the results in more detail.

Author Response

Reviewer 2 comments:

Comment 1: Some important affirmations need citations to back them up. For example, "Teacher training plays a key role in achieving this objective." or "so the decisions made by pre-teachers in response to cyberbullying behaviors are highly relevant." 

Authors’ answer: Thank you for your kind review. Citations to back up the affirmations have been added.

Comment 2: In literature, "pre-teachers" are often called pre-service teachers"; please check if this could be a more accurate term and increment de visibility of your paper. 

Authors’ answer: thank you for your suggestion. We have decided to change the term “pre-teachers” to “pre-service teachers” following your advice.

Comments regarding the introduction: Also, the authors posit that "Understanding the ways in which the characteristics of pre-teachers encourage active intervention....play a fundamental part..." Util this paragraph, the authors have not defined or explained what active intervention is and the importance of this variable so it is difficult to follow the idea. A better literature review in this regard is necessary before establishing the gap in the study. Also, the role of teachers in solving this problem and how they encourage better responses is not clear. 

Coping strategies are mentioned but not defined. I strongly suggest defining all study variables the first time they are mentioned in the manuscript. 

The study highlight bullying statistics among primary students. However, the sample is conformed of pre-teachers or university students. More information about studies on this population is also needed. 

It is important to improve the literature review on the role of teachers in preventing or acting against bullying and cyberbullying. An important body of research was not taken into account about these topics. Also due the results are presented with dimensions of these variables. These dimensions must be included in the literature review. 

Some studies reported in the section on Personal variables related to coping strategies against bullying are focused on students. It is important to add evidence about the adult population. 

All the personal variables related to coping strategies against bullying must be defined. 

The studies about Teachers' beliefs about bullying and cyberbullying are insufficient. 

The authors supported a central idea of their study with only one citation "Active strategies are the most effective in the case of cyberbullying [52]." I strongly suggest that you provide a better foundation for this statement.

Another important issue is that results are present taking into account dimensions of the bullying and cyberbullying episodes, however, the introduction is too general and do not explain how these dimensions are related to the other variables of the study. 

Authors’ answer to introduction comments:

Thank you, the introduction has been modified including all the information requested in your revision:

- New citations have been included in all the variables of the study following the reviewers’ suggestions.

- The study variables have been defined.

- We have extended all the information regarding: pre-service teachers, the role of teachers in preventing or acting against bullying and cyberbullying, adult population in the section of personal variables, teachers' beliefs and bullying dimensions.

Introduction is now better built in previous research.

Comments regarding materials and methods:

Information about the sampling is necessary. Also about de socio-economic status of the sample. I suggest providing mean age information by gender. 

Evidence of the validity of the scales is necessary. 

In the introduction, the authors included some variables about emotions like experiences, beliefs about seriousness, etc. However, the scale of emotions measured, pleasant emotions, unpleasant emotions, and moral emotions. This must be clarified in the introductory section.

The procedure for the administration of the questionnaires could be explained in more detail

The writing of the section about data analyses is not clear. An improvement is needed. 

Also, it is important to justify with a citation the cut-off point to consider a strategy as appropriate or a citation to support this decision in the literature or in similar studies.

it is important to report how missing values were treated in the study.

Authors’ answer: Thank you very much for your suggestion. Following your advice: -        We have added more information to better describe the study sample.-        Evidence about the validity of the scales has been expanded.-        The procedure and data analysis have been explained in more detail.-        The quote referring to the cut-off point has been included.-        It has been explained that only the questionnaires that were fully completed were taken.

Comments about discussion

It is necessary to contrast the results with more studies and discuss the implications and possible reasons for the results in more detail.

Authors’ answer: Thank you for your comment. Discussion has been now improved following your suggestion.