Playing to Do Research: Exploring the Use of the RAYUELA Video Game to Conduct Prevalence Studies and Risk Factor Analysis of Cyberbullying

Abstract

This research explores the use of a serious game as an alternative or complementary research tool to surveys and validated questionnaires for studying cyberbullying. A scientifically-based video game was designed, incorporating a literature review, analysis of legal sentences, and interviews with perpetrators, victims, and experts. Participants completed questionnaires before and after playing the game, and their in-game behaviors were compared with these responses. The results show that the video game estimates the prevalence of cyberbullying with figures similar to other studies and better approximates the relationship between risk factors, such as time spent on the internet or family communication with cyber aggression. Therefore, the RAYUELA serious game is proposed as a promising research tool for prevalence studies and risk factor analysis in cyberbullying, highlighting its potential and limitations.

This research explores the use of a serious game as an alternative or complementary research tool to surveys and validated questionnaires for studying cyberbullying. A scientifically-based video game was designed, incorporating a literature review, analysis of legal sentences, and interviews with perpetrators, victims, and experts. Participants completed questionnaires before and after playing the game, and their in-game behaviors were compared with these responses. The results show that the video game estimates the prevalence of cyberbullying with figures similar to other studies and better approximates the relationship between risk factors, such as time spent on the internet or family communication with cyber aggression. Therefore, the RAYUELA serious game is proposed as a promising research tool for prevalence studies and risk factor analysis in cyberbullying, highlighting its potential and limitations.