The relationship between gender and perceived cyber-bullying behavior
File(s)
Date
20122013
Author
Fern, Jared
Weibel, Ashley
Advisor(s)
Wolfgram, Susan
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Technology has changed the way people live, work, and socialize,
including the way people bully (Akbulut, Sahin, & Eristi, 2010; Dilmac,
2009; Walker, Sockman, & Koehn, 2011). According to Walker et al.
(2011), the prevalence of cyber-bullying in our society has brought the
long-lasting detrimental effects on victims to the forefront. Feelings
of anxiety, depression, and suicidal thoughts have been described by
victims of bullying (Walker et al., 2011). This cross-sectional research
investigated gender differences in the perception of cyber-bullying
behaviors by surveying 140 college students at a small, Midwestern
university. Using the symbolic interaction theory, we hypothesized
that male and female college students would interpret cyber-bullying
behaviors differently because genders are socialized differently
(Strong, DeVault, & Cohen, 2008). Survey data was analyzed using
frequencies, cross-tabulations, mean-comparisons, independent
t-tests, and a reliability analysis. Results indicated significant
gender differences in four out of the ten variables. Implications for
practitioners will include creating effective education and prevention
programs which address the wide range of cyber-bullying behaviors
and the gender differences in the perception of these behaviors. Future
research would benefit from a large and randomized sample as well as
qualitative interviews to capture the lived experience of cyber-bullying.
Subject
Bullying
Social networks
Cyber-bullying