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Cyberbullying in Indonesian senior high schools: a study of gender differences
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Abstract
Many studies have investigated the role of sex differences in cyberbullying. However, the findings remain unclear due to reliance on self-report measurements and overlooking the role of social context in perceiving cyberbullying. This current study used a mixed-method approach to investigate the nature of cyberbullying between male and female adolescents in the Indonesian context. Participants comprised 251 students aged 14 - 18 from senior high schools in Yogyakarta, completing a web-based survey. Next, a 60-minute focus group interview with nine 11th graders was conducted. Among quantitative findings, the effect of sex differences was found when examining the association between cyberbullying and certain forms of traditional bullying. Among qualitative findings, it is apparent that males and females have different patterns in cyberbullying, including: (1) the reasons of perpetrating cyberbullying; (2) their reactions towards cyberbullying; (3) the perceived impact of cyberbullying on academic work and friendship, and (4) whether and to whom they report cyberbullying. The findings highlight the importance of considering the role of gender and the need to use mixed-method designs to accommodate students’ voices prior to programming strategic and effective prevention and intervention.
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Cyberbullying has been identified as an important problem amongst youth in the last decade. This paper reviews some recent findings and discusses general concepts within the area. The review covers definitional issues such as repetition and power imbalance, types of cyberbullying, age and gender differences, overlap with traditional bullying and sequence of events, differences between cyberbullying and traditional bullying, motives for and impact of cyber victimization, coping strategies, and prevention/intervention possibilities. These issues will be illustrated by reference to recent and current literature, and also by in-depth interviews with nine Swedish students aged 13–15 years, who had some first-hand experience of one or more cyberbullying episodes. We conclude by discussing the evidence for different coping, intervention and prevention strategies.
In this article, the authors describe how they used a hybrid process of inductive and deductive thematic analysis to interpret raw data in a doctoral study on the role of performance feedback in the self-assessment of nursing practice. The methodological approach integrated data-driven codes with theory-driven ones based on the tenets of social phenomenology. The authors present a detailed exemplar of the staged process of data coding and identification of themes. This process demonstrates how analysis of the raw data from interview transcripts and organizational documents progressed toward the identification of overarching themes that captured the phenomenon of performance feedback as described by participants in the study.
Victimization on the Internet through what has been termed cyberbullying has attracted increased attention from scholars and practitioners. Defined as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the medium of electronic text” (Patchin and Hinduja 200653.
Patchin , J. W. and
S. Hinduja . 2006 . “Bullies Move Beyond the Schoolyard: A Preliminary Look at Cyberbullying.” Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice 4 ( 2 ): 148 – 169 . [CrossRef]View all references:152), this negative experience not only undermines a youth's freedom to use and explore valuable on-line resources, but also can result in severe functional and physical ramifications. Research involving the specific phenomenon—as well as Internet harassment in general—is still in its infancy, and the current work seeks to serve as a foundational piece in understanding its substance and salience. On-line survey data from 1,378 adolescent Internet-users are analyzed for the purposes of identifying characteristics of typical cyberbullying victims and offenders. Although gender and race did not significantly differentiate respondent victimization or offending, computer proficiency and time spent on-line were positively related to both cyberbullying victimization and offending. Additionally, cyberbullying experiences were also linked to respondents who reported school problems (including traditional bullying), assaultive behavior, and substance use. Implications for addressing this novel form of youthful deviance are discussed.
Thematic analysis is a poorly demarcated, rarely acknowledged, yet widely used qualitative analytic method within psychology. In this paper, we argue that it offers an accessible and theoretically flexible approach to analysing qualitative data. We outline what thematic analysis is, locating it in relation to other qualitative analytic methods that search for themes or patterns, and in relation to different epistemological and ontological positions. We then provide clear guidelines to those wanting to start thematic analysis, or conduct it in a more deliberate and rigorous way, and consider potential pitfalls in conducting thematic analysis. Finally, we outline the disadvantages and advantages of thematic analysis. We conclude by advocating thematic analysis as a useful and flexible method for qualitative research in and beyond psychology.
The present investigation examines subtypes of bullies, distinguished on the basis of social power, some of whom fit the traditional characterization of bullies as poorly accepted, psychologically troubled, marginal members of the peer group and others who exhibit a much more positive set of social characteristics and who are afforded high status within the peer group. In a sample of 555 grade 6 to 10 Canadian students, the associations between bullying, power, and social status were examined, as well as variability in bullies across behavioral and non-behavioral characteristics, self-perceptions, and mental health functioning. Peer nominations were used to assess bullying, social status, aggressive behavior, competencies and assets, and self-reports were used to assess social self-perceptions and internalizing difficulties. Results indicated that a substantial number of bullies were also seen as both popular and powerful with leadership qualities, competencies and assets. In terms of their own social self-perceptions, bullies reported feeling good about themselves and their peer interactions. Additionally, powerful bullies were viewed as exhibiting more competencies and assets such as being physically attractive, wearing stylish clothing, and being good athletes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Bullying, a subcategory of aggressive beha-vior, is encountered regularly by children and adolescents in the context of schools worldwide (for an overview see Smith et al., 1999; Whitney and Smith, 1993). In Canada, self-report data indicate that 8 to 9% of elementary school children are bullied frequently (i.e., once or more a week) and about 2 to 5% of students bully others frequently (Bentley and Li, 1995; Charach, Pepler, and Ziegler, 1995). Among adolescents, at the secondary school level, rates are somewhat higher, with 10 to 11% of students reporting that they are frequently victimized by peers, and another 8 to 11% reporting that they frequently bully others (Vaillancourt and Hymel, 2001). Observational studies show that, although peers are present in most bullying situations (85 to 88%), they seldom intervene on behalf of victims (11% to 25% of the time) (Atlas and Pepler, 1998; Craig and Pepler, 1997) and many students just watch, while others even join in (O'Connell, Pepler, and Craig, 1999). Although bullying is a common experience for students around the world, it is a complex social problem that can have serious negative consequences for both bullies and victims (see Salmivalli, 1999; Smith and Brain, 2000). The negative effects of bullying are well documented, not only in terms of the psychological harm that is inflicted upon victims, but also in terms of the maladaptive outcomes for children who engage in bullying. Studies from countries around the globe tell us that bullying behavior predicts later criminality and delinquency (Olweus, 1991; Pulkkinen and Pitkanen, 1993) and is associated with both externalizing and internalizing diffi-culties (see Juvonen and Graham, 2001; Kaltiala-Heino, Rimpela, Marttunen, Rimpela, and Rantanen, 1999; Kaltiala-Heino, Rimpela, Rantanen, and Rimpela, 2000; Swearer and Doll, 2001). Victimization is associated with both physical and mental health difficulties (Rigby 2001; Slee, 1995) as well as school disliking and avoidance that, in turn, can affect academic performance (Hodges and Perry, 1996; Juvonen, Nishina, and Graham, 2000). A growing body of evidence further suggests that children who are both bullies and victims are at even greater risk than children who are either bullies or victims (Austin and Joseph, 1996; Haynie et al., 2001; Nansel et al., 2001). Perhaps most alarming is the number of teens who have ended their own lives because of both bullying and victimization (see Marr and Field, 2001). Researchers, educators, parents, and commu-nities are struggling to understand how it is that our adolescents, most of whom we believe to be good, caring individuals, behave in ways that condone and maintain bullying, with a substantial number of students engaging directly in bullying behavior or failing to do anything to stop it. The picture that has emerged is a complicated one. A growing body of research suggests that bullying and peer harassment emerge as a result of a number of different factors, not just one (e.g., Baldry and Farrington, 2000; Espelage, Bosworth, and Simon, 2000; Pepler, Craig, and O'Connell, 1999; Swearer and Doll, 2001). Such problems are not solely the result of individual characteristics of the student, poor home environments, ineffective parenting and school practices, "bad influences," peer pressure, or exposure to violent media, etc. but rather, reflect a complex interplay among these factors. In this regard, we concur with Swearer and Doll (2001) in arguing for an ecological pers-pective on bullying in an effort to understand how both individual characteristics of the bully and victim as well as family, peer, school, cultural, and community factors each contributes to the likelihood of bullying and peer harassment. In light of this perspective, we have become increas-ingly convinced of the importance of the peer group and the social climate of the school in terms of their contributions to bullying and peer harass-ment. Accordingly, we have worked directly with schools to examine how the school climate, as reflected by student attitudes and beliefs about bullying, contribute to the maintenance of bully-ing problems in schools. Student attitudes and beliefs can play a significant role in supporting bullying behavior.
Cyberbullying, as a serious kind of repeated, intentional, and harmful aggressive behavior, cannot be ignored. In light of the limited studies and inconsistent findings on the matter, this study explores cyberbullying’s frequency and other factors (gender, academic achievement, types of technologies used, and anonymity) relevant to both the issue itself and the East Asian context. The interrelationship of different roles (bullies, victims, and bystanders) in cyberbullying is also examined. A survey was conducted with 545 Taiwan junior high school students. The results indicate that male students were more likely to bully others in cyberspace and that cyberbullying was not affected by one’s level of academic achievement. Regarding the various technologies and various country-specific cyberbullying forms pertinent to technology users, instant messenger (IM) users experienced significantly more cyberbullying than users of other technologies. The survey results also indicate that the anonymity of cyberbullying was not a pertinent factor. The study found that the dominant attitude toward cyberbullying was indifference, raising alarms about the lack of cyberbullying prevention. Peers, who were the people most teenagers would likely turn to when experiencing cyberbullying, usually took no action because of their tendency to avoid conflicts and to maintain group harmony. In its interpretation of the findings, this study emphasizes Taiwan’s context, including Confucian philosophy.
Internet usage has increased in recent years resulting in a growing number of documented reports of cyberbullying. Despite the rise in cyberbullying incidents, there is a dearth of research regarding high school students' motivations for cyberbullying. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students' perceptions of the motivations for cyberbullying.
We undertook an exploratory qualitative study with 20 high school students, conducting individual interviews using a semi-structured interview protocol. Data were analyzed using Grounded Theory.
The developed coding hierarchy provides a framework to conceptualize motivations, which can be used to facilitate future research about motivations and to develop preventive interventions designed to thwart the negative effects of cyberbullying. The findings revealed that high school students more often identified internally motivated reasons for cyberbullying (e.g., redirect feelings) than externally motivated (no consequences, non-confrontational, target was different).
Uncovering the motivations for cyberbullying should promote greater understanding of this phenomenon and potentially reduce the interpersonal violence that can result from it. By providing a framework that begins to clarify the internal and external factors motivating the behavior, there is enhanced potential to develop effective preventive interventions to prevent cyberbullying and its negative effects.
Theory and research on sex differences in adjustment focus largely on parental, societal, and biological influences. However, it also is important to consider how peers contribute to girls' and boys' development. This article provides a critical review of sex differences in several peer relationship processes, including behavioral and social-cognitive styles, stress and coping, and relationship provisions. The authors present a speculative peer-socialization model based on this review in which the implications of these sex differences for girls' and boys' emotional and behavioral development are considered. Central to this model is the idea that sex-linked relationship processes have costs and benefits for girls' and boys' adjustment. Finally, the authors present recent research testing certain model components and propose approaches for testing understudied aspects of the model.
The increasing availability of Internet and cell phones has provided new avenues through which adolescents can bully. Electronic bullying is a new form of bullying that may threaten adolescent social and emotional development. In this study the relation between involvement in electronic and traditional bullying was examined. Eighty-four adolescents completed questionnaires regarding their involvement in traditional and electronic bullying. Results show that students' roles in traditional bullying predicted the same role in electronic bullying. Also, being a victim of bullying on the Internet or via text messages was related to being a bully at school. Traditional victims were not found to be electronic bullies. Perceptions of the effects of and motivations for electronic bullying are discussed.
Cyberbullying has recently emerged as a new form of bullying and harassment. 360 adolescents (12-20 years), were surveyed to examine the nature and extent of cyberbullying in Swedish schools. Four categories of cyberbullying (by text message, email, phone call and picture/video clip) were examined in relation to age and gender, perceived impact, telling others, and perception of adults becoming aware of such bullying. There was a significant incidence of cyberbullying in lower secondary schools, less in sixth-form colleges. Gender differences were few. The impact of cyberbullying was perceived as highly negative for picture/video clip bullying. Cybervictims most often chose to either tell their friends or no one at all about the cyberbullying, so adults may not be aware of cyberbullying, and (apart from picture/video clip bullying) this is how it was perceived by pupils. Findings are discussed in relation to similarities and differences between cyberbullying and the more traditional forms of bullying.
Cyberbullying describes bullying using mobile phones and the internet. Most previous studies have focused on the prevalence of text message and email bullying.
Two surveys with pupils aged 11-16 years: (1) 92 pupils from 14 schools, supplemented by focus groups; (2) 533 pupils from 5 schools, to assess the generalisability of findings from the first study, and investigate relationships of cyberbullying to general internet use. Both studies differentiated cyberbullying inside and outside of school, and 7 media of cyberbullying.
Both studies found cyberbullying less frequent than traditional bullying, but appreciable, and reported more outside of school than inside. Phone call and text message bullying were most prevalent, with instant messaging bullying in the second study; their impact was perceived as comparable to traditional bullying. Mobile phone/video clip bullying, while rarer, was perceived to have more negative impact. Age and gender differences varied between the two studies. Study 1 found that most cyberbullying was done by one or a few students, usually from the same year group. It often just lasted about a week, but sometimes much longer. The second study found that being a cybervictim, but not a cyberbully, correlated with internet use; many cybervictims were traditional 'bully-victims'. Pupils recommended blocking/avoiding messages, and telling someone, as the best coping strategies; but many cybervictims had told nobody about it.
Cyberbullying is an important new kind of bullying, with some different characteristics from traditional bullying. Much happens outside school. Implications for research and practical action are discussed.
Cyberbullying, the act of using technologies such as emails, cell phones, or text messaging with the intent of causing harm to others, is akin to traditional bullying in many aspects. This article offers a review of the current literature on the topic of cyberbullying, a comparison of traditional bullying and cyberbullying, and suggestions for schoolwide interventions.
The Anti-Bullying Handbook is an essential source of information which provides a clear overview of what we understand about bullying. This fully revised second edition of Keith Sullivan's very popular book is an ideal resource to increase knowledge on a difficult subject. It covers a vast range of issues with clarity and precision. It has been updated and expanded to include: What we know and can do about cyber bullying; Using puppet theatre to teach Early Childhood and Primary Children about bullying; Confronting issues through using a collaborative and restorative justice techniques; Social Action Drama This book is for parents, teachers, administrators, counselors, therapists, psychologists, teacher trainers and students. Keith Sullivan is a widely published author. He is professor of Education at the National University of Ireland, Galway.
Adolescence marks the beginning of a significant shift away from the world of parental support to the formation of intimate friendships with peers. Developmentally, this is an important time for adolescents as they seek to develop interpersonal skills, share activities and develop a deeper sense of understanding of themselves and others through shared confidences and self-disclosure. This is particularly the case for adolescent girls, who value the intimacy they find in small close-knit friendship groups. However, these groups, due to their intimate structure, can become a breeding ground for conflict including indirect aggression. This paper examines one girl's experience of the hurt and alienation she suffered within her friendship group. An interventionist approach using Narrative Therapy and the practices associated with externalising the problems within her friendship group allowed this girl to reclaim her sense of self and reconstruct new expectations for the inclusion of new friends in her life.
The Context of Cyberbullying in the USResearch on Cyberbullying in the USStudy 1: Rural Intermediate SchoolStudy 2: Cyberbullying Among Deaf Students and Their Hearing PeersConclusion
Implications of the ResearchReferences
Cyberbullying in the Global Playground provides the first global, in-depth analysis of the emerging phenomenon of cyberbullying. Offers the first thorough comparative account of recent research into the emerging global phenomenon of cyberbullying. Provides an international perspective on the prevalence and nature of cyberbullying. Presents recent authoritative research within a critical perspective, drawing out theoretical and practical implications for policy and practice. May be used to help design intervention, evaluation, and policy strategies for effective efforts to combat the international phenomenon of cyberbullying.
Recognizing the negative outcomes associated with experiences in bullying at school, educational researchers, school officials, and policy-makers have called for more rigorous research on bullying in school. Research on bullying behavior in school has primarily been examined using quantitative methods. Mixed methods research in the field of education has gained ground in recent years. However, no systematic review of mixed methods studies on bullying and peer victimization has been conducted to date. The major focus of this article is to review empirical studies on bullying in schools using mixed methods. In particular, we examine research studies on bullying in schools within the contexts of new insights, complementary findings, and divergent findings. Directions for conducting mixed methods research on bullying and peer victimization are also discussed.
In recent years the school enrolment rates of children aged 13–15 and 16–18 years have increased sharply in Indonesia, not only in urban but also in rural areas. Using various data sets spanning the years from 1993 to 2007, this paper investigates changes in factors associated with the enrolment of secondary school aged children in rural areas. It sheds light on the roles of gender and of neighbourhood and school characteristics, which have rarely been examined in the Indonesian context. The study finds that the disappearance of a gender gap in secondary enrolments between 1993 and 2007 contributed significantly to the rise in the overall enrolment rate. The findings also show that children living in wealthier communities and communities with a high proportion of enrolled children are more likely to attend school. Finally, various school characteristics are shown not to be strongly or consistently correlated with school enrolment.
This study investigates the nature and the extent of adolescences' experience of cyberbullying. A survey study of 264 students from three junior high schools was conducted. In this article, 'cyberbullying' refers to bullying via electronic communication tools. The results show that close to half of the students were bully victims and about one in four had been cyber-bullied. Over half of the students reported that they knew someone being cyberbullied. Almost half of the cyberbullies used electronic means to harass others more than three times. The majority of the cyber-bully victims and bystanders did not report the incidents to adults. When gender was considered, significant differences were identified in terms of bullying and cyber- bullying. Males were more likely to be bullies and cyberbullies than their female counterparts. In addition, female cyberbully victims were more likely to inform adults than their male counterparts.
Cyber Bullying: Bullying in the Digital Age provides the most current and essential information on the nature and prevalence of this epidemic. Examining the latest research, the authors have utilized vital studies involving over 3,500 middle school students, online research projects and the use of social network sites, and data from focus groups of victims and perpetrators and their parents. Written in an accessible style, this volume provides educators, parents, psychologists, and policy-makers with critical prevention techniques and strategies for effectively addressing electronic bullying. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Social desirability is one of the most common sources of bias affecting the validity of experimental and survey research findings. From a self-presentational perspective, social desirability can be regarded as the resultant of two separate factors: self-deception and other-deception. Two main modes of coping with social desirability bias are distinguished. The first mode comprises two methods aimed at the detection and measurement of social desirability bias: the use of social desirability scales, and the rating of item desirability. A second category comprises seven methods to prevent or reduce social desirability bias, including the use of forced-choice items, the randomized response technique, the bogus pipeline, self-administration of the questionnaire, the selection of interviewers, and the use of proxy subjects. Not one method was found to excel completely and under all conditions in coping with both other-deceptive and self-deceptive social desirability bias. A combination of prevention and detection methods offers the best choice available.
This study explores high school students' beliefs and behaviors associated with cyberbullying. Specifically, it examines this new phenomenon from the following four perspectives: (a) What happens after students are cyberbullied? (b) What do students do when witnessing cyberbullying? (c) Why do victims not report the incidents? and (d) What are students' opinions about cyberbullying? Data were collected from 269 Grade 7 through 12 students in 5 Canadian schools. Several themes have emerged from the analysis, which uncovers some important patterns. One finding is that over 40% would do nothing if they were cyberbullied, and only about 1 in 10 would inform adults. Students feel reluctant to report cyberbullying incidents to adults in schools for various reasons, which are discussed in depth.
The key aim of the present research was to study the “functionality” of two global variables in the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire and to examine the appropriateness of different cutoff points of these variables for prevalence estimation. Several empirical and conceptual analyses strongly attested to the functionality of the two selected variables in terms of construct validity and selected measurement properties. Similarly, a number of analyses indicated that (having been bullied/having bullied other students) “2 or 3 times a month” was a reasonable and useful lower-bound cutoff point. With this cutoff point, “involved” students, victims, and bullies differed very markedly and in clearly different ways from “non-involved” students in conceptually related variables. Prevalence estimates derived in this way can be conveniently obtained, have a reasonably well-defined meaning, can be easily understood by users, and can be reproduced unambiguously by different researchers/administrators and at different times. An important background for the article is the fact that several common methods, including peer nominations, are not well suited for prevalence estimation. Prevalence data for victims, bullies, and bully-victims are also presented. All data were derived from the New Bergen Project Against Bullying, comprising a sample of 5,171 students from 37 schools in the town community of Bergen, Norway. At the time of the data collection, the spring of 1997, the 2,544 girls and 2,627 boys were in grades 5 through 9, with modal ages of 11 through 15 years. Aggr. Behav. 29:239–268, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Although there has been a growing interest in research on bullying in the last decade the majority of studies have used definitions of bullying and victimisation derived from researchers' perceptions of the problem. The aim of the present study was to examine pupils' definitions of bullying in school. The participants were 166 pupils in the top two years in five primary schools in Ireland (two in urban areas and three in rural areas). There were 89 male and 77 female participants, with a modal age of 12 years. An interview was designed to elicit pupils' perceptions of the defining characteristics of bullying behaviour including (I) the behaviours described as bullying, (II) the importance of repetition, (III) the importance of intention, (IV) the effect on the victim, (V) the role of provocation and (VI) imbalance of power. The results suggest that repetition, intention, and a lack of provocation may not be central to pupils' definitions of bullying. These results indicate some differences between pupils and researchers on what constitutes the most important defining characteristics of bullying. This suggests that approaches to bullying intervention programmes may need to be reconsidered in light of these findings.
Communication through computer networks, electronic salons, and virtual communities has its price. Often relatively anonymous and socially detached, electronic communication allows people to write things online that they would seldom consider saying face-to-face, sometimes generating flames. In a study of the motives to flame based upon Uses and Gratifications Theory (UGT), 160 subjects generated comments anonymously in parallel with a group support system (GSS) idea generation program. Results showed that high levels of assertiveness and sensation seeking predicted flaming, and males tended to participate more in the activity than did females.
In most developing countries, education is largely publicly provided. However, the scarcity of public funds and recent evidence of public school inefficiency, calls for an examination of the dominant role of the state. In this paper, we use data from Indonesia to examine the effectiveness of public versus private schools. We use labor market earnings as our measure of effectiveness. Controlling for observable personal characteristics and school selection, we find that graduates of private secondary schools perform better in the labor market. This is contrary to the widely held belief, in Indonesia, that public secondary schools are superior. Our findings, coupled with the existing literature on private school cognitive and cost advantages, suggest the need for greater private participation in the education sector.
This study 1) investigated the prevalence of bullying among students in two secondary schools in the city of Palu, Indonesia, 2) investigated which forms of aggression (proactive and/or reactive) were associated with bullying behavior, and 3) investigated which motive of aggression (power related and/or affiliation related) were associated with bullying behavior among the students. Self assessment questionnaires and interviews were used in this study. The sample comprised 97 boys and 149 girls attending grades 7 and 8. To identify prevalence of bullying, I have used descriptive statistics to provide summaries of the level of the bullying and victimization incidents among students across gender and grade/age. To find out forms and motives of aggression, a correlation analysis using SPSS was demonstrated. The findings showed that in general boys were more involved in bullying than girls. However, girls were more often to take part in calling names or teasing than did boys, and no less than boys in isolating or shutting others out and physical bullying. In terms of grade, the percentage of bullying and victimization were higher in grade eight than in grade seven for both boys and girls. In the correlation analysis, it was indicated that proactive and reactive aggressiveness was strongly related to bullying behavior for girls in grade seven, but not for boys. However, among the eighth graders, neither proactive aggressiveness nor reactive aggressiveness was related to bullying behavior for boys as well as girls. Furthermore, it was indicated that power-related aggressiveness was a good predictor for being involved in bullying among girls, but not for boys. However, affiliation-related aggressiveness was a good predictor for boys, but not for girls. The results from statistical analysis were confirmed by interviews findings. Differences of the present study in comparison with the previous ones, as well as contextual considerations and future research, are also discussed. Keywords: bullying; victimization; proactive aggression; reactive aggression; power-related aggression; affiliation-related aggression Nå
Using data from Indonesia, Newhouse and Beegle to evaluate the impact of school type on academic achievement of junior secondary school students (grades 7-9). Students that graduate from public junior secondary schools, controlling for a variety of other characteristics, score 0.15 to 0.3 standard deviations higher on the national exit exam than comparable privately schooled peers. This finding is robust to OLS, fixed-effects, and instrumental variable estimation strategies. Students attending Muslim private schools, including Madrassahs, fare no worse on average than students attending secular private schools. The results provide indirect evidence that higher quality inputs at public junior secondary schools promote higher test scores.
Data from 53 focus groups, which involved students from 10 to 18 years old, show that youngsters often interpret "cyberbullying" as "Internet bullying" and associate the phenomenon with a wide range of practices. In order to be considered "true" cyberbullying, these practices must meet several criteria. They should be intended to hurt (by the perpetrator) and perceived as hurtful (by the victim); be part of a repetitive pattern of negative offline or online actions; and be performed in a relationship characterized by a power imbalance (based on "real-life" power criteria, such as physical strength or age, and/or on ICT-related criteria such as technological know-how and anonymity).
Focus group methods are an effective way to clarify middle school children's perceptions of health and illness. Children between 11 and 14 years of age, who are undergoing the developmental transition from child to adolescent, tend to be reticent when talking with adult strangers. However, they are more relaxed and willing to share perceptions when discussions are held with a group of peers. Conducting focus groups involves developing an interview guide, arranging the meeting place, supporting group building, and encouraging participation by the group members while discouraging domination by influential members. Data analysis begins during the focus group session as issues emerge in the context of group discussions.
While most youth report positive experiences and activities online, little is known about experiences of Internet victimization and associated correlates of youth, specifically in regards to Internet harassment.
The Youth Internet Safety Survey is a cross-sectional, nationally representative telephone survey of young regular Internet users in the United States. Interviews were conducted between the fall of 1999 and the spring of 2000 and examined characteristics of Internet harassment, unwanted exposure to sexual material, and sexual solicitation that had occurred on the Internet in the previous year. One thousand, five hundred and one regular Internet users between the ages of 10 and 17 years were interviewed, along with one parent or guardian. To assess the characteristics surrounding Internet harassment, four groups of youth were compared: 1) targets of aggression (having been threatened or embarrassed by someone; or feeling worried or threatened by someone's actions); 2) online aggressors (making rude or nasty comments; or harassing or embarrassing someone with whom the youth was mad at); 3) aggressor/targets (youth who report both being an aggressor as well as a target of Internet harassment); and 4) non-harassment involved youth (being neither a target nor an aggressor online).
Of the 19% of young regular Internet users involved in online aggression, 3% were aggressor/targets, 4% reported being targets only, and 12% reported being online aggressors only. Youth aggressor/targets reported characteristics similar to conventional bully/victim youth, including many commonalities with aggressor-only youth, and significant psychosocial challenge.
Youth aggressor/targets are intense users of the Internet who view themselves as capable web users. Beyond this, however, these youth report significant psychosocial challenge, including depressive symptomatology, problem behavior, and targeting of traditional bullying. Implications for intervention are discussed.
As more and more youth utilize the Internet, concern about Internet harassment and its consequences for adolescents is growing. This paper examines the potential overlap in online and school harassment, as well as the concurrence of Internet harassment and school behavior problems.
The Growing Up with Media survey is a national cross-sectional online survey of 1588 youth between the ages of 10 and 15 years old. Our main measures were Internet harassment (i.e., rude or nasty comments, spreading of rumors, threatening or aggressive comments) and school functioning (i.e., academic performance; skipping school; detentions and suspensions; and carrying a weapon to school in the last 30 days).
Although some overlap existed, 64% of youth who were harassed online did not report also being bullied at school. Nonetheless, youth harassed online were significantly more likely to also report two or more detentions or suspensions, and skipping school in the previous year. Especially concerning, youth who reported being targeted by Internet harassment were eight times more likely than all other youth to concurrently report carrying a weapon to school in the past 30 days (odds ratio = 8.0, p = .002).
Although the data do not support the assumption that many youth who are harassed online are bullied by the same (or even different) peers at school, findings support the need for professionals working with children and adolescents, especially those working in the schools, to be aware of the possible linkages between school behavior and online harassment for some youth.
With the Internet quickly becoming a new arena for social interaction, it has also become a growing venue for bullying among youth. The purpose of the present study was to contrast the prevalence of Internet bullying with physical and verbal bullying among elementary, middle, and high school boys and girls, and to examine whether key predictors of physical and verbal bullying also predicted Internet bullying.
As part of an ongoing, statewide bullying prevention initiative in Colorado, 3,339 youth in Grades 5, 8, and 11 completed questionnaires in 78 school sites during the fall of 2005, and another 2,293 youth in that original sample participated in a follow-up survey in 65 school sites in the spring of 2006. Questionnaires included measures of bullying perpetration and victimization, normative beliefs about bullying, perceptions of peer social support, and perceptions of school climate.
The highest prevalence rates were found for verbal, followed by physical, and then by Internet bullying. Physical and Internet bullying peaked in middle school and declined in high school. Verbal bullying peaked in middle school and remained relatively high during high school. Males were more likely to report physical bullying than females, but no gender differences were found for Internet and verbal bullying. All three types of bullying were significantly related to normative beliefs approving of bullying, negative school climate, and negative peer support.
Preventive interventions that target school bullying by changing norms about bullying and school context may also impact Internet bullying, given the shared predictors.