Psychological protective factors against digital violence in university settings: bibliometric review (2020-2025)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18357132Keywords:
digital violence, psychological protective factors, higher educationAbstract
The aim of this study is to characterize scientific output on psychological protective factors against digital violence in university settings, using a bibliometric analysis covering the period 2020–2025. Using the PRISMA 2020 method, 77 articles indexed in Web of Science and Scopus (quartiles Q1–Q2) were selected; tools such as Bibliometrix, Python, and VOSviewer were used to analyze the established indicators. The results show sustained growth in publications (from 5 in 2020 to 21 in 2025; R² = 0.9368), with a predominance of China (54.8%) and the United States (16.1%). Likewise, the conceptual structure is organized into three core areas: adolescent mental health, victimization mechanisms, and protective factors. Current Psychology ranks as the most productive journal (15.9%), while Computers in Human Behavior is the most cited (133 citations). However, gaps are identified in cross-cultural research, longitudinal studies, and the approach to specific university contexts. These findings contribute to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 5, and 16 by informing institutional policies aimed at psychological protection in digital university environments. It is concluded that the results show a rapidly expanding, albeit still developing, field of research in which scientific output on psychological protective factors against digital violence has grown significantly, despite the decline in citation rates characteristic of emerging areas. Furthermore, persistent geographical asymmetries and limited exploration of university contexts highlight the need for greater global collaboration and a more in-depth analysis of protection mechanisms in higher education.
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