Cyber bullying and teachers’ awareness

an article by Baris Sezer (Hacettepe University, Ankara, Turkey) Ramazan Yilmaz and Fatma Gizem Karaoglan Yilmaz (Bartin University, Bartin, Turkey) published in Internet Research Volume 25 Issue 4 (2015)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to determine the awareness levels of teachers with regard to cyber bullying. In line with this purpose, the extent of awareness levels of teachers in general, regarding the issue of personal cyber security in their daily lives and the precautions that can be taken in this context have been measured.

Design/methodology/approach
Survey method is used in this study. The participants of this research were 184 teachers working at various provinces in Turkey during 2012-2013 academic year. A scale was used in this study.

Findings
The findings of the study reveal that the teachers in the sample group of the study have an average level of awareness on cyber bullying, in general. According to the findings of the study, based on branch, gender and frequency of internet use, there are statistically significant differences among teachers’ awareness levels on cyber bullying.

Research limitations/implications
The data collection tool used for the study is a self-report scale and it is restricted to determining the awareness levels of teachers with respect to personal cyber security within the context of cyber bullying awareness and the precautions that need to be taken in this respect.

Practical implications
The data obtained from the study, the authors have conducted, can contribute to updating in-service and pre-service educational contents developed for teachers and prospective teachers, by providing insight for the policy makers.

Originality/value
It is believed that this research will contribute to the literature. On the other hand, this study will guide the policy makers/implementers in Turkey, as well.

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Studying cyborgs: re-examining internet studies as human subjects research

an article by Ulrike Schultze (Southern Methodist University & Lund University, Dallas, USA) and Richard O Mason (Southern Methodist University, Dallas, USA) published in Journal of Information Technology Volume 27 Issue 4 (December 2012)

Abstract

Virtual communities and social networks assume and consume more aspects of people’s lives.

In these evolving social spaces, the boundaries between actual and virtual reality, between living individuals and their virtual bodies, and between private and public domains are becoming ever more blurred.

As a result, users and their presentations of self, as expressed through virtual bodies, are increasingly entangled. Consequently, more and more Internet users are cyborgs. For this reason, the ethical guidelines necessary for Internet research need to be revisited.

We contend that the IS community has paid insufficient attention to the ethics of Internet research.

To this end, we develop an understanding of issues related to online human subjects research by distinguishing between a disembodied and an entangled view of the Internet.

We outline a framework to guide investigators and research ethics committees in answering a key question in the age of cyborgism: When does a proposed Internet study deal with human subjects as opposed to digital material?

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