Introduction: This thesis investigates the experiences of young people who
identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and who are questioning their
sexuality (LGBTQ) on the Internet. Specifically, the project explores how
LGBTQ young people use the Internet, how they communicate online, the
impact that the Internet has on their life and how they stay safe online.
Despite the Internet being an ever-growing aspect of people’s lives and the
potential opportunities that it presents for marginalised groups such as
LGBTQ young people, there have been a relatively small number of
qualitative studies in the area.
Methodology: As there has been limited research regarding LGBTQ young
people’s use of the Internet, a systematic review of qualitative studies
exploring the experiences and views of cyberbullying by children and
adolescents in the general population was conducted using Framework
Synthesis. Subsequently, an empirical study was completed which involved
conducting a secondary analysis, using Framework Analysis methodology, of
data collected from focus groups with LGBTQ young people regarding their
Internet use. In total, five focus groups were held with forty-one LGBTQ
young people recruited across four European countries.
Results: A total of eighteen studies were included in the qualitative synthesis
exploring children and adolescents’ cyberbullying experiences. Although
there was some variation in the quality of the studies, there was clear support
for four main themes: Online vs. Traditional Bullying Environment, Risk
Factors, Victim’s Experience and Preventative Measures. These themes
highlighted both the potential causative factors of cyberbullying as well as
how the victim experiences different aspects of the incident such as their
initial understanding of the event to the long-term impact of cyberbullying. A
number of preventative measures were also suggested, including the need
for adults to increase their understanding of technology and cyberbullying in
order to enable them to be a viable source of help.
Within the empirical study, four main themes emerged from the data: Digital
World as Part of Daily Life, In Control of Their Online World, Seeking
Connection and Navigating Risk. The latter three main themes also consisted
of a number of subthemes. The results indicate that participants have
embraced the Internet into their everyday lives and that the LGBTQ
population reaps specific benefits as the Internet allows them to overcome or
compensate for barriers faced within their offline lives. Participants also
reported the need to navigate many risks online, however interestingly they
appeared confident in doing so and discussed the variety of ways in which
they achieve this.
Discussion: The results of the qualitative synthesis provided tentative
support for two different theoretical models of cyberbullying, indicating that
both an individual process model and an ecological system model are
mutually useful ways of understanding this phenomenon. Clinical implications
spanned both individual and systemic measures that could be taken to
reduce the likelihood of cyberbullying occurring. However, it is also clear that
further research, in particular qualitative research, is required to continue to
develop our understanding of this topic as a whole.
The findings from the empirical project suggest that LGBTQ young people
must balance the opportunities provided by the Internet whilst also managing
the risks that it poses. The importance of retaining the empowerment for
young people on the Internet was clear, especially for young LGBTQ people
who may use the Internet as an alternative way of meeting their needs and
engaging in developmental tasks such as sexual identity development.
However, there is also a need to ensure that these young people are safe
online and therefore interventions such as parental education and the
development of age appropriate resources are required to promote both
empowerment and safety for this population
