What makes a cyber bully.
Cyber bullying is a fairly new phenomenon that is not well understood. It has become and issue only recently with the exponential rise in internet use. A large percent of grade school children access the internet everyday, some for entertainment, some for social purposes, and some for work. Because of the large amount of time children spend on the computer it is imperative to prevent our children from being harassed.
What defines a bully? A study done by Nocentini et al. in 2010 named a five criteria that most be established for cyber bullying. Those criteria are; Intention, Repetition, Power Imbalance, Anonymity, and Publicity. Intention refers to what the victim perceives the perpetrators actions are trying to accomplish. Due to the nature of cyber bullying it is hard to discern if an individual who is bullying is intentionally trying to cause harm to the victim or not. Therefore all determination of intent lies within the victims perception of the bullying. Repetition is also different from traditional bullying to cyber bullying simple because one account of bullying, such as posting a picture, can be accessed years later. Power Imbalance refers to the inability of the victim to remove harmful content from a public, virtual, space. Anonymity brings a whole other aspect to a cyber bully that is not present in traditional bullying. Anonymity allows a cyber bully to hide behind the veil of the internet where he/she can victimize individuals with few consequences. Nocentini argues this could eliminate the need for a power imbalance as the perpetrator need not confront his victim. Finally cyber bullies tend to present their victims to the largest audience possible.
What defines a bully? A study done by Nocentini et al. in 2010 named a five criteria that most be established for cyber bullying. Those criteria are; Intention, Repetition, Power Imbalance, Anonymity, and Publicity. Intention refers to what the victim perceives the perpetrators actions are trying to accomplish. Due to the nature of cyber bullying it is hard to discern if an individual who is bullying is intentionally trying to cause harm to the victim or not. Therefore all determination of intent lies within the victims perception of the bullying. Repetition is also different from traditional bullying to cyber bullying simple because one account of bullying, such as posting a picture, can be accessed years later. Power Imbalance refers to the inability of the victim to remove harmful content from a public, virtual, space. Anonymity brings a whole other aspect to a cyber bully that is not present in traditional bullying. Anonymity allows a cyber bully to hide behind the veil of the internet where he/she can victimize individuals with few consequences. Nocentini argues this could eliminate the need for a power imbalance as the perpetrator need not confront his victim. Finally cyber bullies tend to present their victims to the largest audience possible.
In the head of a cyber bully
While attempting to research information about the psychology of cyber bully it became quickly clear that much of the focus of cyber bullying research has been aimed at protection of the victim rather than discerning the reasons why the perpetrator is bullying the in the first place. Never-the-less a few studies have found information regarding the psychological state of a cyber bully. A study done by Slonje et al. 2013 found that individuals who are cyber bullying are often victims of bullying themselves, and unable to retaliate face to face, turn to cyber bullying where they can hide behind veil of anonymity where they feel protected. Another study by Varjas et al. 2010 found that there were motives, classified as either external or internal for a high school cohort, contributing to cyber bullying. Internal motives were; revenge, boredom, jealousy, trying out a new persona, or redirecting feelings. External motives were classified as; no consequences, non-confrontational, or that the target was different in some way such as appearance. It was found that internal motivations tended to predict cyberbullying more than external. Studies have also demonstrated that individuals who are cyberbullying are more likely, than traditional bullying, to continue their bullying for extended periods of time, due to the lack of feedback from actually being in the presence of the victim.
A study done by Ybarra et al. 2004 found some parallels when comparing traditional bullying to cyberbullying. They found traditional bullies were more aggressive with peers and adults, have more positive views of violence, are impulsive, and lack empathy. They are usually physically larger and more popular, in younger grades, than those who are being bullied. This popularity tends to whine down as high school begins. Around this time bullies tend to report the same feelings of social loneliness. This leads to increase likelihood of incarceration in adulthood.
A study done by Ybarra et al. 2004 found some parallels when comparing traditional bullying to cyberbullying. They found traditional bullies were more aggressive with peers and adults, have more positive views of violence, are impulsive, and lack empathy. They are usually physically larger and more popular, in younger grades, than those who are being bullied. This popularity tends to whine down as high school begins. Around this time bullies tend to report the same feelings of social loneliness. This leads to increase likelihood of incarceration in adulthood.
Summary
Understanding the psychological state of a cyberbully is a pivotal step in prevention and intervention of the issue. Recent research has shown some parallels with cyberbullying and traditional bullying, as well as some novelties. Cyberbullies are frequently victims of bullying themselves, and unable to retaliate face to face, turn to the anonymity of the internet. There are a variety of motives that could push someone into cyberbullying, classified as either external or internal, of which multiple combinations can exist. Elucidating the main motivational force that is driving a cyberbully would be an invaluable resource in order to prevent recurring incidents that is classic of cyberbulling. With the exponential rise in media use among young children we must understand the reason why individuals turn to cyberbulling. Recent research has been focused heavily on proactive intervention as well as the psychological implications of the victim, which is important, but more research needs to be focused on removing the cyberbully from the environment. Cyberbulling can not be removed if we do not understand the psychological characteristics that would push someone to cyberbully in the first place.