Introduction
When discussing the phenomenon of cyberbullying and developing models and theories of conceptualizing this phenomenon and its pertinent concepts, researchers have primarily centered their arguments and ideologies on the effects of cyberbullying. It is doubtless that all the claims and philosophies developed previously by these researchers collectively associate cyberbullying with adverse consequence for its victims. Indeed, this is the prominent pattern in a majority of the scholarly literature recently studied. However, it is apparent that some elements of cyberbullying have received little attention from these researchers, yet they borrow indispensable ideas from these elements in explaining the effects of cyberbullying. In this …show more content…
According to Dooley, Pyżalski, and Cross (2009), group effect is a feature that should not be overlooked in both cyberbullying and traditional bullying when it comes to conceptualizing and evaluating bullying results from a cognitive perspective. These researchers aver that group effect is an aspect in which face-to-face bullying share a significant similitude with cyberbullying. Apparently, this aspect seems not to capture the attention of other researchers, and it is astonishing that some of those comparing the two types of bullying are included in the list. In a study comparing face-to-face bullying with cyberbullying, Gofin and Avitzour (2012) fail to acknowledge the influence of group effect in the perpetuation and sustenance of abuse of bullying targets. In a separate study, Jose, Kljakovic, Scheib, and Notter (2012) acknowledge this effect to some extent as they aver that affiliation with a marginalized group fuels power imbalance in cyberbullying. The definitions of cyberbullying, given by Hinduja and Patchin (2007) and Holfeld and Grabe (2012), recognize group effect as part of both types of bullying. Based on these studies, it is doubtless that group effect is the feature that depicts similarity between cyberbullying and traditional bullying. It should be kept in mind that group effect may involve recruitment of new members into perpetrators’ …show more content…
The term is amongst other terms that define the platforms upon which cyberbullying occurs, including chat rooms, instant messaging, online bulletin boards, websites and web pages, and texting. Studies that concentrate on the consequences of cyberbullying have shallowly addressed the role of social networking as a vital platform for cyberbullying. In that regard, a deeper exploration of the role of social networks in propagating cyberbullying actions and behaviors is deemed critical in developing strategies for averting cyberbullying effects. A study by Holfeld and Grabe (2012) reveals that social networking platforms rank third in use by adolescents in perpetration cyberbullying, with instant messaging and cell phones taking the first and the second positions respectively. Specifically, instant messaging has a rate of 64%, cell phones a rate of 41%, and social networking platforms a rate of 40%. Based on these figures, these researchers acknowledge that social networks play a significant role in propagating cyberbullying, but express their concerns that limiting the access to these networks in schools may impede learning opportunities. In another study, Welsh and Lavoie (2012) contend that, while the speedy extension of online social networking platform augments social connectivity amongst peer cliques, it simultaneously raises privacy concerns and online victimization risks.
When discussing the phenomenon of cyberbullying and developing models and theories of conceptualizing this phenomenon and its pertinent concepts, researchers have primarily centered their arguments and ideologies on the effects of cyberbullying. It is doubtless that all the claims and philosophies developed previously by these researchers collectively associate cyberbullying with adverse consequence for its victims. Indeed, this is the prominent pattern in a majority of the scholarly literature recently studied. However, it is apparent that some elements of cyberbullying have received little attention from these researchers, yet they borrow indispensable ideas from these elements in explaining the effects of cyberbullying. In this …show more content…
According to Dooley, Pyżalski, and Cross (2009), group effect is a feature that should not be overlooked in both cyberbullying and traditional bullying when it comes to conceptualizing and evaluating bullying results from a cognitive perspective. These researchers aver that group effect is an aspect in which face-to-face bullying share a significant similitude with cyberbullying. Apparently, this aspect seems not to capture the attention of other researchers, and it is astonishing that some of those comparing the two types of bullying are included in the list. In a study comparing face-to-face bullying with cyberbullying, Gofin and Avitzour (2012) fail to acknowledge the influence of group effect in the perpetuation and sustenance of abuse of bullying targets. In a separate study, Jose, Kljakovic, Scheib, and Notter (2012) acknowledge this effect to some extent as they aver that affiliation with a marginalized group fuels power imbalance in cyberbullying. The definitions of cyberbullying, given by Hinduja and Patchin (2007) and Holfeld and Grabe (2012), recognize group effect as part of both types of bullying. Based on these studies, it is doubtless that group effect is the feature that depicts similarity between cyberbullying and traditional bullying. It should be kept in mind that group effect may involve recruitment of new members into perpetrators’ …show more content…
The term is amongst other terms that define the platforms upon which cyberbullying occurs, including chat rooms, instant messaging, online bulletin boards, websites and web pages, and texting. Studies that concentrate on the consequences of cyberbullying have shallowly addressed the role of social networking as a vital platform for cyberbullying. In that regard, a deeper exploration of the role of social networks in propagating cyberbullying actions and behaviors is deemed critical in developing strategies for averting cyberbullying effects. A study by Holfeld and Grabe (2012) reveals that social networking platforms rank third in use by adolescents in perpetration cyberbullying, with instant messaging and cell phones taking the first and the second positions respectively. Specifically, instant messaging has a rate of 64%, cell phones a rate of 41%, and social networking platforms a rate of 40%. Based on these figures, these researchers acknowledge that social networks play a significant role in propagating cyberbullying, but express their concerns that limiting the access to these networks in schools may impede learning opportunities. In another study, Welsh and Lavoie (2012) contend that, while the speedy extension of online social networking platform augments social connectivity amongst peer cliques, it simultaneously raises privacy concerns and online victimization risks.