Cyberbullying within working contexts

The current chapter debates the limited existing research evidence on cyberbullying within working contexts. We examine critically conceptualising cyberbullying as a new type of negative work behaviour or simply an extension of traditional bullying. The focus then moves to presenting the evidence on prevalence rates, impact and antecedents of workplace cyberbullying. This culminates in a discussion of theoretical ideas that may aid our understanding of cyberbullying at work from the computer-mediated communication and psychology literatures. The chapter concludes by providing the reader with five action points for enhancing future research in this topic area

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

The Influence of Attachment Styles on Cyberbullying Experiences Among University Students in Thailand, Mediated by Sense of Belonging: A Path Model

The widespread proliferation of technology-driven electronic interactions among humans in recent years has led to a new sense of connectedness. There is also an increasing number of reports of harmful online behavior against other people and negative consequences on users who are involved in such behaviors. Cyberbullying has become a frequently used term in current research of online aggression and victimization. This study attempted to investigate the prevalence of cyberbullying experiences among university students in Thailand. Based on a theoretical framework of attachment theory and the belongingness hypothesis, this study also explored whether or not cyberbullying experiences could be predicted by experiences from attachment and belongingness. 249 students at an international university in Bangkok, Thailand participated in the study by completing a survey questionnaire using the Cyberbullying and Online Aggression Instrument (COAI), the Sense of Belonging Instrument-Psychological (SOBI-P), and the Relationship Scales Questionnaire (RSQ). Results revealed rates of cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration that exceeded rates found in similar studies from the United States. Tests of hypothesized relationships through a proposed path model showed a significant direct predictive relationship between secure attachment orientation and cyberbullying victimization and indirect predictive relationships between insecure attachment orientation and cyberbullying victimization and cyberbullying perpetration mediated by sense of belonging. The study’s results, limitations, implications, and future recommendations were discussed

Assédio moral e cyberbullying no trabalho em Portugal

The purpose of this study is to analyse the incidence of workplace bullying and cyberbullying in Portugal and to find out if there are differences in terms of gender, age, and academic qualifications. It also aims to understand whether remote working and job autonomy influence the occurrence of these negative behaviors at work. Firstly, a literature review was conducted in order to acquire a more comprehensive knowledge on the subjects. Then, a quantitative methodology was used with the application of a questionnaire that allowed to collect 403 valid answers. Data were analysed using SPSS software. Descriptive analysis, t-test, ANOVA, and correlations were performed. It was found that 38.2% of the respondents felt victimized by workplace bullying during the last 12 months and 22.8% felt cyberbullied. The negative work-related behaviours are the most frequent. It was shown that workplace bullying and cyberbullying had a strong psychological and/or emotional, physical, and work-related impact in those who felt victimized. The results indicate that exposure to bullying and cyberbullying at work varies according to academic qualifications, with more qualified people being more victims of these negative acts. In turn, no differences were found for gender and age, nor for remote working. Regarding job autonomy, the results indicate that there is a negative correlation between job autonomy and workplace bullying, as well as between job autonomy and cyberbullying at work.O objetivo deste estudo é analisar a incidência de assédio moral e cyberbullying no trabalho em Portugal assim como averiguar se há diferenças ao nível do género, idade e qualificações académicas. Pretende-se ainda compreender se o teletrabalho e a autonomia profissional influenciam a existência destes comportamentos negativos no meio laboral. Primeiramente, foi elaborada uma revisão se literatura com vista a obter um conhecimento mais abrangente sobre os temas. Em seguida, foi utilizada uma metodologia quantitativa com a aplicação de um questionário que permitiu recolher 403 respostas válidas. Os dados foram analisados utilizando o software SPSS. Foram realizadas análises descritivas, teste t, ANOVA e correlações. Verificou-se que 38.2% dos inquiridos se sentiram vítimas de assédio moral nos últimos 12 meses e 22,8% se sentiram vítimas de cyberbullying. Os comportamentos negativos relacionados com o trabalho são os mais frequentes. Foi demonstrado que o assédio moral e o cyberbullying tiveram um forte impacto psicológico e/ou emocional, físico e laboral naqueles que se sentiram vitimizados. Os resultados indicam que a exposição ao bullying e cyberbullying no trabalho varia consoante as qualificações académicas, sendo as pessoas mais qualificadas mais vítimas destes atos negativos. Por sua vez, não foram registadas diferenças quanto ao género e idade, nem quanto ao teletrabalho. Relativamente à autonomia no trabalho, os resultados indicam que existe uma correlação negativa entre a autonomia e o assédio moral no trabalho, bem como entre a autonomia e o cyberbullying.Mestrado em Gestã

The Indirect Role of Passive-Avoidant and Transformational Leadership through Job and Team Level Stressors on Workplace Cyberbullying

Research on workplace cyberbullying (WCB) is still scarce and needs verification. This study addressed the indirect influence of positive and negative leadership on WCB via perceived role stressors and negative team climate. The main goal is to test the applicability of the work environment hypothesis and job demands-resources model for WCB on a cross-sectional sample of n = 583 workers in Germany (n = 334) and Spain (n = 249). We tested multiple mediation models, and findings revealed that negative (passive-avoidant) leadership increased role and team stressors and thereby WCB exposure, whereas positive (transformational) leadership decreased the same stressors and thereby reduced WCB exposure. No cross-cultural differences were found, indicating portability of the results. This study highlights the explanatory factors for WCB at individual and team level and emphasizes the role of managers as shapers of the work environmental antecedents of WCB in the emergent digitalized working world. Theoretical implications and future research avenues are discussed

Cyberbullying victimization at work : Social media identity bubble approach

Cyberbullying at work takes many forms, from aggressive and threatening behavior to social ostracism. It can also have adverse consequences on general well-being that might be even more severe for people whose identities are centrally based on social media ties. We examined this type of identity-driven social media use via the concept of social media identity bubbles. We first analyzed the risk and protective factors associated with cyberbullying victimization at work and then investigated its impacts on well-being. We expected that workers strongly involved in social media identity bubbles would be in the worst position when faced with cyberbullying. Data include a sample of workers from five Finnish expert organizations (N = 563) and a representative sample of Finnish workers (N = 1817). We investigated cyberbullying at work with 10 questions adapted from the Cyberbullying Behavior Questionnaire. Other measures included scales for private and professional social media usage, social media identity bubbles (six-item Identity Bubble Reinforcement Scale), well-being at work, sociodemographic factors, and job-related information. Prevalence of monthly cyberbullying victimization at work was 13% in expert organizations and 17% in the Finnish working population. Victims were young, active users of professional social media and they were strongly involved in social media identity bubbles. Victims who were in social media identity bubbles reported higher psychological distress, exhaustion, and technostress than other victims. Cyberbullying at work is a prevalent phenomenon and has negative outcomes on well-being at work. Negative consequences are more severe among those with highly identity-driven social media use.Peer reviewe

Exploring cyberbullying in Saskatchewan

Cyberbullying is a problem that has emerged as a byproduct of modern day technologies. This novel form of peer aggression occurs when one or more individuals use a technological medium for the purposes of threatening or harming others. Given that cyberbullying is a relatively new problem in Canada, research remains in its preliminary stages. Previous studies conducted in large urban centers in Alberta and Quebec have suggested that cyberbullying frequently occurs among middle years students. However, the characteristics of cyberbullying among rural students and students from other Canadian provinces are yet to be determined. For these reasons, the purpose of this study was to explore cyberbullying amongst students from rural and urban schools in Saskatchewan. More specifically, this study investigated the following questions:1.To what extent did youth experience cyberbullying? 2.What were the characteristics of cyberbullying?3.How did students respond to cyberbullying? 4.To what extent did parents and teachers become involved with cyberbullying incidents? Furthermore, how did students think these adults should have responded?To answer these questions, 396 students from a large public school division in central Saskatchewan completed an anonymous paper pencil questionnaire. Among the grades 7 to 9 students sampled, 34.6% admitted they cyber-bullied others and 49.5% said they were victims of cyberbullying. Further, the majority (69.4%) of the students reported that they knew someone who had been cyber-bullied. No significant differences were found between urban and rural students’ experiences with cyberbullying. However, significant gender differences were found as well as significant correlations between cyberbullying involvement and student grade level, frequency of computer use, school size, and school type. Unfortunately, the majority of cyber-bully victims and bystanders chose not to report the incident to adults. Victims of cyberbullying reported a variety of negative outcomes, especially anger and sadness. Students offered many suggestions for the prevention and intervention of cyberbullying. In particular, students thought teachers should educate their class about cyberbullying and parents should talk to their children about the issue

Restoring Trust: A Grounded Theory Study of Cyberbullying Among Young Women

Cyberbullying is a global and national public health issue with the potential to affect the healthy social and emotional development of adolescents and young adults. There has been an 80% increase in social media use in 18-29 year olds between 2004 and 2014 (Gahagen, Vaterlaus, & Frost, 2016). In a study of 14-24 year olds (MTV/AP, 2011), 76% identified cyberbullying as a serious problem, with more than 56% reporting they have experienced cyberbullying. Cyberbullying research has been conducted predominantly with adolescents (ages 11-18 years), however scant research has been conducted with older adolescents and young adults (ages 18-30 years). This classical grounded theory study explored the process of cyberbullying victimization from the perspective of 15 young women ages 18-30 years old. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using constant comparison. The substantive theory that emerged from the data is comprised of the core category, Restoring Trust, and five key categories: Becoming the Target, Suffering in Silence, Reaching Out, Receiving Support, and Becoming Empowered. Of significance is the discovery of trust as the dynamic that moves the process forward. Trust is initially lost when the young woman becomes the target, and then restored through the process of reaching out for help, receiving support, and becoming empowered. Being believed is the gateway to restoring trust. Knowledge and insights gained from this study will inform prevention and intervention strategies

An exploration of experiences of self-compassion in autistic women

Section A: This systematic literature review synthesizes and critically evaluates quantitative research into how autistic children and young people are impacted by their experiences of bullying. The quality of thirteen papers is assessed and findings are considered, highlighting generalisability and limitations. The findings are discussed in relation to existing psychological theory, and the implications for clinical practice and the autistic community are stated. Suggestions for future research are made. Section B: There is little literature exploring the experiences of self-compassion in autistic women. Such research is essential to understanding how autistic women relate to the world, providing insights into how they may develop mental health difficulties, and the importance of self-compassion in self-esteem building and perception of identity. The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of autistic women with self-compassion using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Three Group Experiential Themes emerged: ‘Connection with identity’, ‘I deserve it, right?’, and ‘Sense of growth’. Research and clinical implications are discussed