Decreasing Incidents of High School Cyberbullying

With the Internet being an ever-growing part of everyone’s lives, the nature of bullying has evolved. Cyberbullying is a new problem with far reaching implications and is a problem that is growing fast. However, there is a limited amount of research available. Most of the research has been conducted from 2007 until the present with little research available before 2001. The purpose of this study was to decrease the percentage of incidents (students participating and students victimized) of cyberbullying at a public high school in a large school, suburban school district, in the southeastern region of the United States, by implementing various interventions. The sample population was a nonprobability convenience sample. The sample was comprised of 512 students for the pre-survey and 498 for the post-survey, in grades 9-12. A pre-survey was administered at the beginning of the study to determine the prevalence of cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. The interventions occurred over a five-month period and included: advisement lessons, a book display in the media center, an anti-cyberbullying student pledge, informational bulletin board, digital brochures, and an assembly with the district attorney. A post-survey was administered at the end of the five-month period of the study to determine the prevalence of cyberbullying in the sample population. The difference between the pre and post responses was used to determine the effectiveness of the interventions. While there was a decrease in reports of bystander experiences and cyberbullying participation, there was an increase of 1-3% in cyberbullying victimization, specific victimization experiences, and specific perpetration behaviors

Cyberbullying among University Students: The Kenyan Experience

Although considerable literature has grown around cyberbullying, there are still only limited studies on this within developing economies, especially African countries. In particular, studies on cyberbullying in Africa have failed to have a direct focus on the prevalence of this phenomenon among students in universities. Not only does cyberbullying have an emotional-social impact, it has ramifications on the learning process as well. This subject remains of utmost relevance within academia, and a number of institutions continue to grapple with its impact. The study reported here is an exploratory investigation of 396 students from one of the private universities within Nairobi, Kenya, which aimed at understanding the prevalence of cyberbullying. The study findings revealed that the highest form of victimization was through the act of deception, in which 75.8% of the respondents indicated someone had lied to them electronically. On the other hand, the highest form of perpetration of cyberbullying was through malice, in which 49.7% of the respondents reported sending a rude message to someone electronically. Further, more male students were more likely to commit acts of cyberbullying compared to their female counterparts. This study confirms the existence of cyberbullying within institutions of higher learning in Kenya, with the possibility of generalizability to other developing economies. The level of prevalence reported in this study appears slightly high in comparison to a majority of the findings from the developed economies. Consequently, we submit that it is imperative that educational systems in Africa and other developing economies put in frameworks to deal with the emerging reality of cyberbullying within institutions of higher learning. Such frameworks should facilitate the implementation of useful strategies to help victims of cyberbullying, and at the same, time offer deterrents to the perpetration of cyberbullying

Cyberbullying at work: Understanding the influence of technology

We exist at a time when technology has revolutionised the way people work. It is now just as easy to communicate electronically with colleagues thousands of miles away as it is with a coworker in the same building. While there are many advantages of information and communication technologies (ICTs), workplace cyberbullying channeled through ICTs illustrates the potential drawbacks of such technologies. The current chapter examines the limited, yet developing research on workplace cyberbullying. First, we discuss the criteria used to define workplace cyberbullying and the behaviours that encompass it. Second, we present current empirical findings, including research on the actors involved in the process and the antecedents, prevalence and impact of workplace cyberbullying. Finally, we discuss theoretical perspectives on why workplace cyberbullying occurs, highlight the emerging focus on the work context and present some suggestions for future research in this area

Cyberbullying: youth's perceptions in a Johannesburg school context

A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Humanities, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Psychology, Johannesburg 2017Cyberbullying is a new form of bullying that has emerged as a by-product of interactive communication technologies, of which adolescents are the most prolific users. A meaningful number of adolescents are involved in cyberbullying and the impact can have a significant effect on the wellbeing of adolescents. The prevalence and the level of severity of this phenomenon is a matter of concern for society in general. Technology is pervasive and has become an integral part of the lives of adolescents; it can also leave individuals more vulnerable to harassment and violent behaviour penetration/victimisations. This study used Q methodology as an alternative approach to explore how South African adolescents’ perceived the nature of cyberbullying and its severity by providing insights into their subjective understanding of the phenomenon. A sample of 46 adolescents (aged 14 to 17 years of age) ranked two sets of statements (Q sort 1 and Q sort 2) that described cyberbullying behaviours and hypothetical cyberbullying events respectively. Participants sorted the statements according to personal significance within a fixed matrix. Their responses were analysed using the freeware statistical program PQ Method (Schmolck, 2014). A five-factor solution was identified and described for Q sort 1. The diversity of views emerging has implications for cyberbullying research, policy, and intervention and suggests different approaches for addressing this issue. Three distinct accounts of the severity of cyberbullying events emerged from the Q sort 2 analysis. These perspectives are discussed in relation to existing literature and the potential role of adults is considered. Participants also completed an open-ended questionnaire to inform their reactions to cyberbullying events by probing coping mechanisms. The distinct representations add to the understanding of this complex phenomenon.XL201

Cyberbullying Incidents Among African American Female Middle School Students

Recent research has shown an increase in cyber bullying acts against middle and high school students. The National Center of Education Statistics (2010) reported that cyberbullying incidents increased 73% between the years of 2007 and 2009. In 2011, 75% of cyberbullying victims were adolescents (National Center of Education Statistics, 2013). Using data collected from the Pew Research and American Life Project, the study examined the prevalence of cyber bullying acts against African American female adolescents compared to Caucasian male and female adolescents and African American male adolescents. Additionally, the study reported the cyber bullying incident that occurred most frequently as either directly using texting or indirectly using social media websites. Past research studies have shown a prevalence of cyber bullying acts against Caucasian females. The participants in this study were 737 adolescents 12-17 years old. The results suggested that a prevalence of cyber bullying acts against African American female students occurred at a significantly lower rate than Caucasian female and male students but a significantly higher rate than African American male students and Hispanic male and female students. Additionally, indirect cyberbullying incidents occurred significantly more frequently than direct cyberbullying incidents

Contextual Influences on the Perception of Bullying Behaviours for Youth in New Zealand

Bullying has gained a lot of attention in the public and academic spheres over the past two decades (Carrera, DePalma, & Lameiras, 2011; Monks et al., 2009) and is considered to be a very serious international issue (Due et al., 2005; Mullis, Martin, Foy, & Arora, 2012). There is extensive research based on the experiences of bullying, which has examined prevalence rates (Green, Harcourt, Mattioni, & Prior, 2013), distinctions between different types of bullying (Rivers & Smith, 1994; Smokowski & Kopasz, 2005) as well as the short and long term impacts (Coggan, Bennett, Hooper, & Dickinson, 2003). Through this, a strong research based understanding of bullying has been developed and a consistent definition established (Canty, Stubbe, Steers, & Collings, 2014; Carroll-Lind, 2009). However, previous research has primarily focused on the experiences of bullying, and few studies have examined how bullying is understood from the perspectives of young people. The present study aimed to bridge this gap by exploring young people’s understanding of bullying behaviour in New Zealand. Twenty participants completed a short questionnaire and structured interview, where they discussed four hypothetical scenarios, each describing a different type of bullying in a different setting. Results demonstrated that young people maintain a much broader conception of bullying than what is currently defined by academia. The academic criteria of intention to harm, repetition and an imbalance of power were not central to young people’s definitions of bullying. Rather, factors such as, the reaction of the victim, how public the behaviour was and the role of friendship were more instrumental in shaping young people’s bullying perceptions and definitions. Furthermore, it was found that the perceived relationship between bullies, victims and bystanders as well as gender differences, also influenced participants’ understanding of bullying behaviours. These findings yield important implications for the development and efficacy of intervention programs. Limitations and avenues of future research are also discussed

Examining the relationship among physical and psychological health, parent and peer attachment, and cyberbullying in adolescents in urban and suburban environments

Cyberbullying is a new phenomenon that has received substantial attention via media. An extensive review of the literature revealed limited nursing research on this topic. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of cyberbullying on adolescents\u27 physical (e.g., headache, stomachache, etc.) and psychosocial (e.g., self-esteem, depression, post traumatic stress syndrome, etc.) outcomes. Individuals who experience repeated traditional bullying are at increased risk for experiencing repeated incidents of cyberbullying. Research has shown that effects of cyberbullying may be more traumatic than traditional bullying because victims can be bullied 24 hours and 7 days a week, on and off school property. A total of 367 adolescents aged 10 to 18 years of age (50.4% females and 49.6 males) in 4th through 12th grades participated in the study. A community-based approach was used to recruit students and collect data from charter schools, recreational centers, church youth groups, and a community organization. Five instruments (The Student Survey; Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment; Depression Self-rating Scale; Children\u27s Somatization Inventory, and a short demographic survey) were used to collect data on the dependent and independent variables. Data analysis used the IBM-SPSS (ver. 19.0) and included chi-square tests for independence, Pearson product moment correlations, logistic regression, and stepwise multiple linear regression analysis. Data analysis revealed that adolescents from urban and suburban areas are similar in their views of what constitutes cyberbullying and the emotions that are associated with cyberbullying. Adolescents are more likely to view cyberbullying activities more seriously if they are closely attached to their peers and parents. The results also revealed that adolescents may be less likely to report cyberbullying incidents. Physical and mental health did not appear to be problematic for these students. Given the pervasiveness of cyberbullying among adolescents, nurses are in a key position to address cyberbullying through the use of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention. Nurses have a complete understanding of important health issues related to bullying behaviors and receive training on how to deal with these behaviors. The paucity of research studies regarding cyberbullying and health outcomes support the need for additional exploration of this topic

Cyberbullying: a resource for parents of elementary school-aged children

In recent years, the digital revolution, and, in particular, the widespread use of devices with internet access, has enabled a new form of bullying to emerge. The typical age at which youth begin using internet-enabled technology and social media continues to trend downward. Consequently, elementary school-aged children are increasingly subjected to cyberbullying. Therefore, this clinical resource is a text-based pamphlet for parents with elementary-aged children that will serve as an educational tool regarding cyberbullying prevention strategies. The development of the pamphlet included an initial literature review of the literature, gathered through searches from online academic databases, including Psychinfo, PsychArticles, and Google Scholar. Additionally, several websites and assortment of books were reviewed to identify a representative list of parent resources related to cyberbullying. The pamphlet provides empirically supported information about cyberbullying as well as prevention strategies parents can utilize with their children. The target audience for this pamphlet are parents and guardians of elementary school-aged children between the ages of 5 and 10. The following content areas were included in the pamphlet: (a) What is Cyberbullying? (e.g., Cyberbullying definition, types of Cyberbullying, Cyberbully roles, adverse impacts for victims, (b) Prevention strategies (some of which will be illustrated through vignettes), (c) Recognizing/Detecting Cyberbullying (e.g., warning signs, how to talk to your child about cyberbullying and encourage disclosure, (d) What to do next? (e.g., how to intervene at school and/or with the parents of the cyberbully), (e) Resources (e.g., websites, apps, books and community programs focused on cyberbullying). A formal evaluation of the completed text-based pamphlet is beyond the scope of this project

Repairing Online Reputation: A New Multi-Modal Regulatory Approach

In today’s interconnected digital society, high profile examples of online abuses abound. Cyberbullies launch attacks on the less powerful, often significantly damaging victims’ reputations. Outside of reputational damage, online harassment, bullying and stalking has led to severe emotional distress, loss of employment, physical assault and even death. Recent scholarship has identified this phenomenon but has done little more than note that current laws are ineffective in combating abusive online behaviors. This article moves the debate forward both by suggesting specific reforms to criminal and tort laws and, more importantly, by situating those reforms within a new multi-modal framework for combating online abuses and protecting victims’ online reputations. This new approach advocates a combination of enhanced public education initiatives, enhanced access to effective reputation defense services, the development of more pro-bono reputation defense services, reporting hotlines, appropriate social norms, and industry self-regulation strategies. The aim of the multi-modal framework is to use the law and other methodologies to facilitate the development of a more civil and accountable global online society

The role of self-blame and resilience in psychosocial outcomes in college students who engage in cyberbullying

Bullying behaviors (traditional and cyber) are often associated with adverse long-term consequences. As a result of an increase in technology use, traditional bullying has gradually expanded to include cyberbullying. While research in the area of cyberbullying is relatively new, current evidence suggests that cyberbullying is a pervasive problem from childhood into adulthood, and is associated with long-term detrimental effects for bullies, victims, and bully-victims. Research also suggests that self-blame, the tendency to view life events as being within an individual’s control may exacerbate the development and intensity of psychological symptoms (e.g., anxiety, depression) that may result from experiencing stressful events. (Feinauer & Stuart, 1996). Resiliency has been suggested as a buffer against the development of symptoms of anxiety and depression. Resiliency has been defined as a measure of stress coping ability that encompasses personal competence, trust in one’s instincts, positive acceptance of change, control, and spiritual influences (Conner & Davidson, 2003; Masten, 2001; Rutter, 2006). The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationships among cyberbullying, self-blame, resilience, and psychological well-being in college students. Participants were 543 undergraduates from a public university in the southeastern United States. Participants included 155 males and 388 females ranging in age from 18 to 30 plus years. It was hypothesized that the experience of cyberbullying (X) would negatively predict psychosocial outcomes (Y) as mediated through level of self-blame (M). Additionally, given the rationale that resilience could potentially act as a protective factor against engaging in self-blame, it was hypothesized that (W) would serve as a moderator of the relationship between cyberbullying (X) and self-blame (M). Using “Model 7” by Hayes (2013), a moderated-mediation analysis was conducted. Contrary to predictions, the overall indirect of self-blame (M) in the analysis of psychosocial outcomes (Y) regressed on Cyberbullying (X)- by-Resilience (W) interaction was not significant. However, as expected, self-blame mediated the relationship between cyberbullying and psychosocial outcomes. Results and implications of findings are discussed