Introduction
Online bullying, also referred to as cyberbullying, denotes bullying with the use of digital technologies. It can occur on social media, various direct messaging platforms, websites, forums, and other online tools. Cyberbullying tends to be a repeated behavior that is targeted at scaring an individual, shaming them, or angering them. A significant problem with online bullying is that it has been shown to result in suicidal ideation and attempts among individuals being targeted by bullies. Since the problem is highly complex and multi-dimensional, it covers a range of variables and influencing factors that can predict the occurrence of cyberbullying and explain strategies aimed at addressing the challenge. Eliminating the problem of online bullying is vital for improving the mental health of adolescents and young adults and allowing them to build their lives free of adverse external influences.
Research Background
Research on cyberbullying has been abundant, including both qualitative and quantitative studies that have explored the challenge from different perspectives. There has been a consensus among researchers that cyberbullying is a significant health concern that has threatened the well-being of young people around the world (Ferrara et al., 2018). The experience of cyberbullying is common among Internet users, and it usually takes place anonymously and publicly on various platforms, manifesting in such ways as name-calling, uploading harmful and mocking images, and even excluding victims from online friend groups (Wang et al., 2019). The exclusion and continuous bullying to which a person is exposed create a sense of isolation, hopelessness, and helplessness, which further leads to mental health effects in victims (Wang et al., 2019; Estrada-Vital et al., 2022). Importantly, in their study, Jungert et al. (2021) found that continuous exposure to bullying can be linked to higher risks of anxiety and depression. In addition, cyber-victims have a worse life quality, especially regarding psychological well-being in their immediate environments (Saladino et al., 2020). In many cases, victims feel that they are unable to defend themselves from online harassment.
The influencing factors contributing to cyberbullying range depending on internal and external factors. While Internet use frequency has shown no impact on cyberbullying behaviors, such factors as poor life satisfaction, personal background, individual psychological issues, literacy, and involvement in other harmful behaviors have influenced the tendency of young people to bully others online (Zhong et al., 2021). Therefore, the available research background allows the formulation of research questions on the issue of online bullying:
- What are the precursors of online bullying behaviors among bullies?
- What are the consequences of online bullying for victims?
- What are the policy recommendations for addressing the social issue of cyberbullying?
Theory
Cyberbullying can be explored through the lens of Conflict Theory, which holds that order in society can be preserved by power and domination over one party over the other rather than conformity and consensus. According to the theory, individuals who have power and vast resources try to maintain them by any possible means, thus suppressing the powerless and those with limited resources (Bowman, 2016). The flexibility of the theory allows for explaining various types of societal conflicts throughout history, including bullying relationships. It is possible to see how a bully can benefit from the exploitation and harassment of the victim. As a result, the bully has greater access to more social status, potential recognition, and control while the victim is used as a prop for the social gain of their oppressor. Besides, bullies work toward distancing themselves from their victims and keeping control over the resources that they consider valuable. By othering the group of cyber victims, the privileged group can gain more access to prized resources.
Based on the principles of the theory, it is possible to note the negative correlation between the desire for social success and support for bullying victims. The process prevents victims from gaining resources in the form of social status the same time as reinforcing the social status of the bully, even in their perception (Bowman, 2016). Even though cyberbullying can often occur anonymously, it is perceived to offer social success because they think that they eliminate the potential threats to accessing their social capital. The use of the conflict theory perspective allows researchers to see how increasing feelings of competition for resources can drive cyberbullying relationships.
Analysis
Historically, cyberbullying emerged as a health concern and a social issue as a result of the rising use of the Internet by younger people. The intensity of cyberbullying has grown proportionately to the intensity of the Internet’s coverage and its use as the primary means of communication. Because of this, cyberbullying has been referred to as the “modern form of bullying” that has been exacerbated together with the rising penetration of networked computers and mobile phones among younger people who rely on social media and new tools of connectivity (Ferrara et al., 2018). Back in 2012, 95% of American teenagers used the Internet, and of those responders, 81% used social media (Ferrara et al., 2018). Moreover, as early as 2009, surveys showed that more than half of teenagers logged on to social media more than once a day, and 22% logged on to their preferred site more than ten times a day (Ferrara et al., 2018). Adolescents who are highly connected to social media have compromised their social and emotional development, leaving them vulnerable to peer pressure and limited self-regulation capacity.
The predictors of the issue encompass a range of factors such as social, demographic, and criminal-history influences. In terms of social and demographic characteristics, cyberbullying behaviors depend significantly on the environment that surrounds the individuals who engage in bullying (Zhong et al., 2021). These factors include but are not limited to the quality of educational systems, the school environment, specific cultural norms, and interpersonal relationships, especially those about family influences (Zhong et al., 2021). Herd mentality, to which younger people are often get subjected, cultural background differences, and a history of traditional bullying have all been shown to contribute to bullying behaviors (Zhong et al., 2021). Notably, in qualitative data synthesized by Zhong et al. (2021), neuroticism had the highest correlation coefficient for exhibiting cyberbullying behaviors, while agreeableness had the highest correlation coefficient for being cyberbullied. In terms of criminal-history influences, cyberbullies are morally disconnected from reality, suffer from a lack of empathy, and have a history of criminal behaviors, alcohol and drug use, and truancy (Estrada-Vital et al., 2022).
When it comes to the impact of cyberbullying on victims, the emotions that individuals experience can be diverse. In their study, Saladino et al. (2020) explored different scenarios related to the feelings of victims in different cyberbullying situations. For example, in the “harassment scenario,” the most frequently reported feeling was fear (44.8%), while in the “impersonation scenario,” the victim felt more rage (22.7%) (Saladino et al., 2020). In the “exclusion scenario,” the most frequently-reported emotion was sadness. An important finding of Saladino et al. (2020) pertains to the fact that the percentage of females engaging in cyberbullying was sometimes higher than that of males. There is potential for interventions to improve communication, socialization, and interpersonal skills development to address the great challenges that contribute to cyberbullying behaviors and result in adverse outcomes for victims.
Conclusion, Implications, and Recommendations
The exploration of online bullying as a type of aggression has shown that the challenge poses a significant social and public health threat that should not be overlooked. Developed as a result of the increased reliance of younger generations on digital communication, cyberbullying behaviors are more often exhibited by individuals seeking more social power over others and those with specific background characteristics. It is implied that more attention is needed to studying the strategies aimed at curbing bullying behaviors among people and creating environments conducive to ethical conduct. Notably, the policy perspective entails the school system having to take action to prevent cyberbullying, including programs that help develop younger generations to have appropriate response strategies. The policy recommendation should emphasize the importance of preventing cyberbullying behaviors among individuals who are at risk, such as those who have shown disconnection from reality, suffer from a lack of empathy, and have a history of criminal behaviors. More development in the definition of cyberbullying is needed so that younger people understand the criminal implications of engaging in such behaviors and harassing their victims.
References
Bowman, D. (2018). The sociology of bullying: Prevention and intervention using a three themed model. Honors Theses. Web.
Estrada-Vidal, L. I., Epelde-Larrañaga, A., & Chacón-Borrego, F. (2022). Predictive Model of The Factors Involved in Cyberbullying of Adolescent Victims.Frontiers in Psychology. Web.
Ferrara, P., Ianniello, F., Villani, A., & Corsello, G. (2018). Cyberbullying a modern form of bullying: Let’s talk about this health and social problem. Italian Journal of Pediatrics, 44(14). Web.
Jungert, T., Karataş, P., Iotti, N. O., & Perrin, S. (2021). Direct bullying and cyberbullying: Experimental study of bystanders’ motivation to defend victims and the role of anxiety and identification with the bully.Frontiers in Psychology. Web.
Saladino, V., Eleuteri, S., Verrastro, V., & Petruccelli, F. (2020). Perception of cyberbullying in adolescence: A brief evaluation among Italian students.Frontiers in Psychology. Web.
Wang, C-W., Musumari, P. M., Techasrivichien, T., Suguimoto, S. P., Chan, C-C., Ono-Kihara, M., … Nakayama, T. (2019). “I felt angry, but I couldn’t do anything about it”: a qualitative study of cyberbullying among Taiwanese high school students. BMC Public Health, 19(654). Web.
Zhong, J., Zheng, Y., Huang, X., Mo, D., Gong, J., Li, M., & Huang, J. (2021). Study of the influencing factors of cyberbullying among Chinese college students incorporated with digital citizenship: From the perspective of individual students. Frontiers in Psychology. Web.