Cyberbullying: The New Way to Bully
Sarah Clark, Caroline Dashiell, Elly Ferrell, Catherine Lambert, Laura Logan, Johanna McManus,
Caitlin McNaughton, Matney Rolfe, & Sherry Hamby
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To identify up-to-date trends in cyberbullying and highlight the risks, consequences and
contexts of cyberbullying in 2011. METHOD: We held
four focus groups lasting approximately one hour each.
A total of 45 undergraduates participated (14 males, 31
females) in groups ranging from 9-13 members. Three
groups were single gender (1 all male, 2 all female) and
one was mixed gender. Group members were provided
refreshments. RESULTS: Grounded theory analysis
was used to identify major themes in the transcripts.
Major themes included: 1) Cyberbullying is easier than
face to face bullying because it is less personal and more
indirect, 2) Cyberbullying is minimized as a problem, 3)
Using technology is seen as essentially consenting to
cyberbullying; 4) Sometimes cyberbullying has serious
consequences, and 5) There are steps you can take to
partially protect yourself. DISCUSSION: We hope to
use these themes and the examples provided in the
focus groups to develop a survey to assess the
prevalence of this phenomenon. Cyberbullying has
serious , often under-recognized implications . The more
we know about the severity and the effects of
cyberbullying the more we can find ways to prevent it.
Introduction
Cyberbullying has received considerable media
attention, particularly after several students committed
suicide following incidents. Cyberbullying is “the
deliberate and repeated harm inflicted through the use
of computers, cell phones, and other electronic
devices” (Patchin &Hinduja, 2006). Communication is
constantly changing in this technological era. Existing
research has struggled to keep pace with these
changes. One study seeking to measure cyberbullying
posed open- ended questions to experts (Jager et al.,
2010). Another adapted a questionnaire on traditional
forms of bullying to gain knowledge about bullying via
Internet chat rooms (Katzer, Fetchenhauer, and
Belschak, 2009). Many people are unaware that there
are many new sources of cyberbullying, such as
facebook, video games, and Twitter, and surveys on
chat rooms or AOL instant messaging (AIM) may no
longer be relevant.
The purpose of this study was to uncover how
cyberbullying manifests itself in 2011. We are using
the insights of this qualitative research to develop a
more up-to-date, comprehensive questionnaire on
cyberbullying.
Department of Psychology, Sewanee, the University of the South
Results
Grounded theory analysis, involving repeated
reviews of the transcripts, was used to identify key
themes.
Cyberbullying is easier than face-to-face
bullying. It is less personal & more indirect.
“People can hide behind their computers.”
“You can say things that you might not normally
say to their face.”
“I feel like cyberbullying has kind of changed the
face of bullying in the fact that anyone can do
it, you don’t have to be physically the strongest…”
“I feel like cyberbullying give people confidence
who may not have been bullies to begin with….and
so more people are attacking other people.”
“It’s easy for people to do because you don’t see
the people who you are harming.”
“One of my friend from college who went to a
different college, like, transferred because of
Juicy Campus. Like, it made her life so
miserable.”
“I know somebody earlier this year came and
was, like, hanging out with us and left their
facebook up, and this girl chatted him….They
[other students] had like this hour and half
conversations with this girl they’d never met
before. Like, she ended up coming to visit him
and he had no idea that she was
coming….Anyway, it turned out terrible. They
ended up telling her he did all sorts of drugs
when he’d never done them. That got really
bad.”
Cyberbullying is
minimized as a problem
“We all used it to
play friendly pranks.”
Engaging in technology is essentially
consenting to being cyberbullied
“By putting your profile out there, you’re consenting
for anybody that can to look at it.”
“You have to understand that to a degree you’re
going to encounter it [cyberbullying].”
“When you’re putting yourself out there, there are
mean people in the world that are open to critique
you.”
Cyberbullying is a serious, but underrecognized, problem. Using these
themes, we are developing a more
comprehensive questionnaire that will
more fully address trends in technologies
and patterns of cyberbullying. One major
current trend is the prominent role of
facebook and online gaming forums as
settings for cyberbullying.
We hope this questionnaire will improve
our conception of the prevalence and
consequences of cyberbullying. We also
hope this line of research will offer better
solutions for combating this victimization.
Technology users can be taught to use
security measures more effectively to
minimize their victimization, such as
heightening privacy settings or removing
inappropriate content. Cyberbullying may
be difficult to eliminate entirely, but it can
be reduced through training, increased
awareness, and recognition of serious
consequences.
“There are definitely times when it’s malicious,
but we still laugh about it.”
“You have people who are, like, ‘Oh, she’s
taking it too harsh.’ ….They’re like, “Oh, she’s
got her panties in a wad.”
“I watched my friend cyberbully someone, and I
stood behind her because I thought that the
action of that individual deserved it…I thought
that what that girl did was way worse than my
friend sending her a facebook message.”
Method
We held four focus groups lasting approximately
one hour each. A total of 45 undergraduates
participated (14 males, 31 females) in groups
ranging from 9-13 members. Three groups were
single gender (1 all male, 2 all female) and one
was mixed gender. Participants were students
who were recruited from sororities, fraternities,
and other campus contacts. Group members
were provided refreshments. During the hour
long session (approximately) the participants
talked about what cyberbullying meant to them
and how it affects people in different ways.
Participants were asked to speak anonymously
when referring to themselves or others. Each
session was audio-taped and transcribed.
Cyberbullying can have serious
consequences
Discussion
You can partially protect yourself
“The first rule we made when I moved in with
my classmates this year was, like, we called a
facebook truce.”
“I’ve learned to log out of my facebook every
time I leave my computer.”
“A lot of us are blocking them [pictures] now,
like if you are searched, you can’t look at the
photos of us. I mean, they are still out there,
but they just aren’t on your page.”
References
Jäger, T., Amado, J., Matos, A., & Pessoa, T. (2010).
Analysis of experts’ and trainers’ views on
cyberbullying. Australian Journal of Guidance &
Counseling, 20(2), 169-181.
doi:10.1375/ajgc.20.2.169
Katzer, C., Fetchenhauer, D., & Belschak, F. (2009).
Cyberbullying: Who are the victims?: A comparison of
victimization in internet chat rooms and victimization
in school. Journal of Media Psychology: Theories,
Methods, and Applications, 21(1), 25-36.
doi:10.1027/1864-1105.21.1.25
Patchin, J.W., & Hinduja, S. (2006). Bullies move beyond
the schoolyard. A preliminary look at cyberbullying.
Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 4(2), 148–169.