Wednesday 6 June 2012

High School Students’ Perceptions of Coping With Cyberbullying

an article by Leandra Parris, Kris Varjas, Joel Meyers and Hayley Cutts (Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA) published in Youth & Society Volume 44 Number 2 (June 2012)

Abstract

Cyberbullying can have a variety of negative effects on student mental health (Internet Safety Technical Task Force, 2008). An understanding of students’ coping with cyberbullying could help researchers and professionals to determine ways to alleviate and/or prevent the negative effects of cyberbullying.

Qualitative methods were used to provide an in-depth examination of coping with cyberbullying. The results revealed three primary coping themes as follows: reactive coping, preventive coping, and no way to prevent cyberbullying.

Reactive coping included avoiding the cyberbully situation by deleting or ignoring messages. Preventive coping strategies included talk in person and increased security and awareness. Some students reported that there was no way to reduce cyberbullying.

These strategies were interpreted in terms of current theories of coping and findings suggested a need for a new comprehensive model of coping with cyberbullying. In addition, implications for future research and practice were discussed.


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