Cyberbullying among Turkish adolescents

Abstract

Cyberbullying, harassment through the use of information and communication technology such as cell phones and the Internet, is an emerging phenomenon all around the world. Extensive research on aggression and bullying is guiding educators' understanding of cyberbullying. Yet the gap between the advancement in technology and the dearth of study on cyberbullying suggests that more research is needed to understand the scope of this form of bullying. In order to fill the gap in literature, 269 secondary school Turkish students were surveyed on their engagement in and coping strategies for cyberbullying. The results show that 35.7% of the students displayed bully behaviors, and 23.8% of the students displayed bully-victim behaviors. Only 5.9% of the students were victims. More boys displayed bully, victim, and bully-victim behaviors than girls. When faced with cyberbullying, 25% of the students reported telling their peers and parents about the cyberbullying incident, and 30.6% of the students reported finding active solutions such as blocking the harasser. The implication of the study for future research is discussed.