POLITENESS IN ONLINE COMMUNICATION: RETAILER-CLIENT INTERACTION

Purpose of the study: The paper aims to unfold politeness in online communication among retailers and clients and debates some ways where cultural values of communication can be taught and thus re-learned. Methodology: The qualitative approach was adopted where discourse analysis method used to review and analyse the updates and comments from Facebook and WhatsApp of conveniently collected data for this study. Main Findings: The study suggest a deterioration of cultural values in communication is at an alarming level among retailers and clients in online communication. Applications of this study: The study will benefit online businesses. Area of studies include business management and communication. Other sub- areas include culture and ethic relations. Novelty/Originality of this study: The study is new to Malaysian business context where multi-racial and multilingual environment play significant roles

The Nature of Cyberbullying in Swedish Schools: Processes, Feelings of Remorse by Bullies, Impact on Victims and Age - and Gender Differences

Four studies were conducted to examine the nature of cyberbullying in Swedish schools using both qualitative and quantitative methods. The first two studies investigated what reasons/issues may be involved in the negative feelings that a victim of bullying may feel and how these related to different types of bullying. The content analysis yielded seven themes: helplessness, persistency, fright, anonymity, no avoidance, embarrassment and loneliness. Study Three used quantitative methods to examine various issues such as gender and age differences, but especially the distribution of the bullying material, the role of bystanders, and whether cyberbullies feel more or less remorse compared to traditional bullies. Findings showed that cyberbullies not only targeted their victims, but quite often showed the material to other people and/or uploaded it onto the Internet. The bystanders of cyberbullying mostly did nothing further to distribute the material, however when they did, they tended to help the victim more often than bully him/her further. When asked about feelings of remorse, cyberbullies expressed less remorse than traditional bullies. The findings are discussed in relation to the definition of bullying, and the need for empathy raising awareness for bullies within the cyberbullying context. Study Four, a qualitative study, involved 10 pupils and examined issues such as what the pupils had experienced (as victims, bullies or bystanders), how it felt (impact), and how it was resolved. Practical implications of the findings include the highlighted need for different coping strategies to be applied for victims of cyberbullying and traditional bullying, as well as starting preventive strategies for cyberbullying in pupils as young as 7 years. In addition, the need to investigate cyberbullying in a different manner than that of traditional bullying is raised. This could have practical implications for researchers, but is also a theoretical concern related to the definition of cyberbullying

Young carers speak out! Final Report

This report considers the opinions and experiences of children and young people identified as ‘young carers’ in the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan regions of South Wales as they relate to the main aims of the Carers Strategies (Wales) Measure 2010

Online Comment Incivility And Its Impact On Social Perceptions Of Stalking

Much research has investigated the impact of online incivility on people’s opinions of controversial topics, but less has focused on social perceptions of personal disclosure-related online posts, despite large online-based social movements such as #MeToo. The current study focuses on stalking and will enable a better understanding of how stalking is perceived. There are two main study objectives: to examine social perceptions of an online disclosure by a target of stalking behavior and to examine the role of online incivility on mood and social perceptions of stalking. Overall, both men and women responded similarly to the stalking scenario. Participants expressed more concern for the female victim, ascribed her more credibility and less blame compared to the male victim. Exposure to incivility was found to have minimal impact on perceptions of the stalking victim. Overall, findings have implications for how stalking victims are perceived and potentially supported based on their gender

Fairness and unfairness: a report of children’s views

Children and young people in boarding schools, children’s homes and other care and residential settings gave their views and experiences about fairness and unfairness. Views were gathered using survey questionnaires and discussion groups

Below the parapet: a phenomenological exploration of adult inter-personal relationships for individuals who grew up with a sibling with a severe mental illness

Siblings of those with severe mental health illness (SMI) have long been overlooked in research and, what interest there has been, seems to have been borne out of the desire to establish how best to engage them in providing care and support for their mentally ill brother or sister when their parents are no longer able to. The present study looks beyond this to how siblings themselves may have been impacted by their childhoods and what support they may need outside of any caregiving role. In particular, the current study focuses on how their childhood experiences may impact their inter-personal relationships in adulthood. Six adult participants gave accounts of their experiences, participating in semistructured interviews. The interview transcripts were then analysed, using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Four superordinate themes are identified: The Stabiliser, The “Me,” The “I” and Surviving and Striving. The superordinate themes explore the experiences of the participants in regards to self and relationships. Many of the siblings in this study display signs of chronic anxiety and insecure avoidant attachment style. In addition, they display a very real difficulty in holding compassion for themselves, having recognition of their needs or managing conflictual situations. Furthermore, an entirely new finding has come out of this research, that these siblings display signs of defence mechanisms of binary thinking, omnipotent control and the creation of a false-self. The present study draws on attachment theory, parentification and post traumatic growth, to highlight clinical and research implications for Counselling Psychology. These include suggestions for supporting siblings in addressing their own suffering in order to restore trust in themselves, in their inter-personal relationships and in the life process itself