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Citation
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Ranney ML, Pittman SK, Riese A, Koehler C, Ybarra M, Cunningham R, Spirito A, Rosen RK. Acad. Pediatr. 2019; ePub(ePub): ePub. |
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Affiliation
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Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Box G-5121-4, Providence, RI 02912, United States of America. Electronic address: rrosen@Lifespan.org. |
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Abstract
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OBJECTIVE: To inform development of cyberbullying interventions that are both accurate and meaningful to all adolescents, this qualitative analysis examines experiences of online peer victimization among a sample of predominately minority and low-income youth.
METHODS: Adolescents ages 13-17 years who reported past-year cyberbullying on a previously validated survey were recruited from an urban pediatric clinic to complete semi-structured interviews. Interview topics included definitions of cyberbullying, prior cyberbullying experiences, and strategies to reduce cyberbullying and its consequences. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Using thematic analysis, study team members applied both structural and emergent codes to transcripts.
RESULTS: Saturation was reached after 23 interviews (mean age 14.8 years; 65% female, 47.8% Hispanic, 35% Black, 74% low socioeconomic status). Four main themes emerged: 1) Teens avoided the term "cyberbullying," due to its association with suicidality and severe depression; they preferentially described experiences (even those meeting criteria for repetition, power differential, etc.) as "online conflict". 2) In-person bullying categories (bully, victim, bully-victim, bystander) apply to online conflict. Few identify purely as victims. 3) Cyberbullying is part of a larger continuum of peer violence, including physical fights and in-person bullying. 4) Teens want to help victims of cyberbullying; they desire more guidance in so doing.
CONCLUSIONS: These youth rarely acknowledge presence of cyberbullying; instead, they describe online conflict as part of a larger spectrum of peer violence. Clinicians may consider prevention of a range of conflict-related behaviors (rather than focusing exclusively on cyberbullying), and may considerengaging adolescent bystanders in prevention of online conflict.
Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Language: en |