Cyberbullying Via Social Media

Recent years have witnessed a surge of research on cyberbullying. In this article, three studies examined prevalence rates of cyberbullying among college-age students, venues through which cyberbullying occurs, with a particular focus on social media, and perceptions of cyberbullying as a function of features of the target (e.g., peer, celebrity, groups). Study 1 found texting and social media to be the most commonly used venues for cyberbullying victimization. Study 2 determined that features of the target of cyber aggressive comments influenced perceptions of cyberbullying. Online aggressive comments directed toward peers were perceived most negatively whereas those targeted toward random people known only online were evaluated least negatively. Using an innovative methodology for examining cyberbullying, Study 3 found that venue (e.g., Facebook, comments, forum posts) and features of the target influenced the nature of online exchanges. Implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.