Cyberbullying and the law: A review of psychological and legal challenges

Approach versus Avoidance: A Self-Regulatory Perspective on Hypocrisy Induction in Anti-Cyberbullying CSR Campaigns

Governments, institutions, and brands try various intervention strategies for countering growing cyberbullying, but with questionable effectiveness. The authors use hypocrisy induction, a technique for subtly reminding consumers that they have acted contrary to their moral values, to see whether it makes consumers more willing to support brand-sponsored anti-cyberbullying CSR campaigns. Findings demonstrate that hypocrisy induction evokes varying reactions depending on regulatory focus, mediated by guilt and shame. Specifically, consumers who have a dominant promotion (prevention) focus feel guilt (shame), which motivates them to overcome their discomfort by supporting (avoiding) an anti-cyberbullying campaign. Moral regulation is drawn as a theoretical underpinning to explain various consumer reactions to hypocrisy induction, the moderating role of regulatory focus, and mediating role of guilt and shame. The research contributes to the literature and provides practical implications by explaining when and why brands can use hypocrisy induction to persuade consumers to support social causes through the lens of moral regulation theory.

Cyberbullying definitions and measurements in children and adolescents: Summarizing 20 years of global efforts

Despite numerous instruments existing to assist in the measurement of specific cyberbullying behaviors or cyberbullying in general, it is still unclear their purpose, corresponding scenarios, and their effectiveness. This study, therefore, aims to provide a comprehensive review of academic efforts on cyberbullying definitions, measurements, and their effectiveness in children and adolescents in the past two decades. A systematic review was performed using ASReview, an open source machine learning systematic review system. Three bibliographic citation databases, including Web of Science core collection, PubMed, and EBSCO were adopted for all relevant literature published from January 2001 to August 2021. In total, twenty-five studies, mentioning seventeen cyberbullying measurement scales, met the study collection criteria. The results found that most failed to provide a clear definition of cyberbullying, often providing unclear and inconsistent descriptions for the youth. Similarly, studies found it difficult to clearly reflect the three key elements of bullying, namely: harmfulness, repetitiveness, and the power imbalance between bullies and victims. With regard to cyberbullying types, most presented two or three categories, including victimization, perpetration, and bystanding, while some suggested four types based on the nature of the cyberbullying behavior, including written or verbal, visual or sexual, character impersonation, and exclusion. If characteristics are considered, cyberbullying becomes more specific with multiple categories being proposed, including flaming (or roasting), harassment, denigration, defamation, outing, jokes, online sexual harassment, and cyberstalking. With regard to measurements, many scales have been proposed and frequently refined to capture specific cyberbullying experience of the youth. This study emphasizes the value and importance of providing clear cyberbullying definitions and helps scholars in youth cyberbullying choose appropriate measurement scales.

Cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing in developing countries

Purpose

This paper aims to consider modern internet phenomena such as cyberbullying and cybermobbing. The emphasis in the paper is placed on the problematic issues of the legal practice of combating cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing in developing countries as these phenomena are still insufficiently studied. The subject of this paper is modern internet phenomena such as cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing. The emphasis in the paper is placed on the problematic issues of the legal practice of combating cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing in developing countries as these phenomena are still insufficiently studied.

Design/methodology/approach

The legislation of developing countries is compared with doctrinal and practical developments in the fight against the studied problem in developed countries of the West, as well as countries of the former USSR. Moreover, experiment was conducted to determine the effectiveness of methods to combat cyberbullying using social networks. Thus, 40 random accounts of people (presumably from 18 to 30 years old) were analyzed.

Findings

This paper indicates the concepts of cyber-mobbing and cyberbullying, as well as their varieties that exist in the modern world. This study examines statistical data, programs and measures of different states in the fight against cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing. Results of experiments showed that Instagram users are aware of the availability of built-in extensions of the social network to protect against cyberbullying and use them relatively frequently. With that, female segment of Instagram users is more concerned about the content of the comments under their photos than the male one.

Originality/value

Measures have been developed to prevent and counteract cyberbullying and cyber-mobbing, the introduction of which into the policies of states might help in the fight against these social phenomena.

Security and privacy of adolescents in social applications and networks: legislative aspects and legal practice of countering cyberbullying on example of developed and developing countries

Purpose

This paper aims to study the developed countries’ experience on the cyberbullying legal regulation among adolescents, to identify existing shortcomings in the developing countries’ laws and to develop recommendations for regulatory framework improvement.

Design/methodology/approach

The authors have studied the state regulatory practice of the UK, the USA, Canada, Malaysia, South Africa, Turkey, UAE and analyzed the statistics of 2018 on the cyberbullying manifestation among adolescents in these countries.

Findings

The study results can encourage countries to create separate cyberbullying legislation and periodically review and modify already existing legislation.

Originality/value

The study provides a list of the recommendations to regulate cybercrime in developing countries and prevent it as well. The results may contribute to creating laws related to the regulation of cyberbullying in countries where such legislation does not exist yet or existing regulatory legal acts do not bring the expected results, namely, in Post-Soviet countries and other developing countries of the world.

What do we Know about Bullying in Syrian Adolescent Refugees? A Cross Sectional Study from Turkey : (Bullying in Syrian Adolescent Refugees)

The aim of this study was to assess the bullying status of Syrian adolescent refugees in Turkey and identify factors that contribute to bullying. The adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years and who live in Kilis as a Syrian refugee assessed between the dates 01.01.2019-01.01.2020. Currently, 119 children and adolescents were enrolled in the study. Kiddie-Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (present and life time version - K-SADS-PL) was applied by a specialist of child and adolescent psychiatry. The Sociodemographic Data Form, The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (OBVQ) were used for assesment of children and adolescents. Of the study sample, 31 adolescents (27.1%) were diagnosed with at least one psychiatric disorder. The most prevalent psychiatric disorder was Other Specified Trauma and Stressor Related disorder (13.4%) and Post- traumatic stres disorder (6.7%). The prevalence of bullying and victimization was found as 58.9%. The boys group was significantly more likely to be bully and both victim and bully (p = 0.04, p = 0.001* respectively) compared to the girls group. Our results demonstrate that besides the past experiences related to war and immigration, the adolescent refugees experienced bullying consequences of being a refugee in Turkey.

Examining the psychological well-being of refugee children and the role of friendship and bullying

BACKGROUND

Refugee children might have experienced violent and traumatic events before settling into a new country. In the United Kingdom, the number of refugee children is increasing; however, little is known about their psycho-social and physical well-being.

AIM

This study aims to investigate the psychological well-being and behaviour of refugee children compared to British-born children on a number of psychological, social, behavioural, and health-related issues and to investigate the role of friendship as a protective factor.

SAMPLES

This study utilized a sample of 149 refugee children recruited from two charities, 79 of which are children aged 6-10 years and 70 older refugee children aged 11-16 years. The study also included 120 non-refugee children recruited from primary schools aged 6-10 years.

METHODS

This is a cross-sectional study that investigates the psycho-social well-being of refugee children compared to non-refugee British-born children. The study explored symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder, emotional and behavioural problems (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire), self-esteem, friendships and popularity, bullying and victimization, physical health, and psychosomatic problems.

RESULTS

Young refugee children reported more peer problems, functional impairment, physical health, and psychosomatic problems compared to the control children and older refugee children groups. On the other hand, older refugee children had lower self-esteem (academic and social self-peers) compared to the younger refugee children group. The differences between the groups were explained by friendship quality, number of friends, peer bullying/victimization, or sibling bullying/victimization except for physical health and psychosomatic problems.

CONCLUSIONS

While refugee children were found to be at risk on various levels, the findings also point to the fact that social relationships including friendship quality and number of friends played an essential protective role. Conversely, bullying was a risk factor that explained many of the refugees' problems. These findings pave the way for future research to further probe into the well-being of refugee children in the United Kingdom while also targeting relevant intervention schemes specifically tailored to address their needs.

Effects of nursing organisational culture on face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying in the workplace

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To investigate the current state of face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying among nurses in the workplace and to identify the effects of nursing organisational culture on face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying.

BACKGROUND

It is important to accurately examine the current state of workplace bullying to acknowledge the gravity of the situation faced by nurses and devise prevention strategies. Electronic communication by computer or smartphone is widely used as a prompt and efficient means of facilitating nursing work; however, this leads to the possibility of cyberbullying as well as face-to-face bullying among nurses.

DESIGN

Descriptive cross-sectional study.

METHODS

A total of 226 staff nurses working in one of five upper tertiary hospitals in Korea with a career of 10 years or shorter were surveyed using a self-reported questionnaire. The collected data were evaluated using various statistical analyses, including hierarchical regression. Our study was applied to the STROBE checklist of items.

RESULTS

The mean face-to-face bullying score was 1.32 ± 0.53 and the cyberbullying score was 1.14 ± 0.37 (possible range: 1-5); most were work-related negative experiences. The explanatory power of nursing organisational culture for face-to-face bullying was 6.3%, and relation-oriented culture and hierarchy-oriented culture were major factors affecting face-to-face bullying. The explanatory power of nursing organisational culture for cyberbullying was 4.3%, and relation-oriented culture was a major factor affecting cyberbullying.

CONCLUSIONS

Relation-oriented culture had a significant effect on both face-to-face bullying and cyberbullying. Therefore, organisations should strive to foster a relation-oriented nursing organisational culture in order to prevent and resolve workplace bullying among nurses.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

Cyberbullying should be addressed as an important type of workplace bullying in nursing, which occurs via various information and communication devices. To prevent workplace bullying among nurses, various strategies that promote relation-oriented nursing organisational cultures should be considered.

Cyberbullying: concepts, dynamics, characters and health implications

The study aimed to conduct a critical review of a set of bibliographical reviews to identify how the scientific community understands cyberbullying, how the phenomenon has been conceptualized, how its dynamics have been described, what characters are identified and what associations are related to the health of intimidated persons and perpetrators. The literature has shown that there is no consensus on the concept of cyberbullying, but there are arguments that advocate its specificity and differentiation vis-à-vis bullying, (it can occur at any moment and without a physically demarcated space; it can be disseminated globally, the length of permanence of the offensive posts is undetermined). As for the gender issue associated with this practice, a reductionist bias was observed in the debate, indicating differences based on an alleged technological superiority of boys. The reviewed studies show that both victims and those who practice cyberbullying undergo negative experiences in their psychological and behavioral health, where school dropout may also occur, along with social isolation, depression, suicidal ideation and suicide. However, there is hardly any questioning about cyberculture and how it establishes new socialities - knowledge and debate crucial to understanding the phenomenon.

Bullying and Cyberbullying: Their Legal Status and Use in Psychological Assessment

Bullying and cyberbullying have severe psychological and legal consequences for those involved. However, it is unclear how or even if previous experience of bullying and cyberbullying is considered in mental health assessments. Furthermore, the relevance and effectiveness of current legal solutions has been debated extensively, resulting in a desire for a specific legislation. The purpose of this study is to investigate the psychological and legal components of bullying and cyberbullying. This is a qualitative research that includes interviews with five practitioner psychologists and four lawyers in the United Kingdom (UK). Thematic analysis revealed three main themes. One theme is related to the definition, characteristics, and impact of bullying and cyberbullying and the need for more discussion among the psychological and legal professions. Another theme is related to current professional procedures and the inclusion of questions about bullying and cyberbullying in psychological risk assessments. The third theme emphasised the importance of intervention through education. Two key messages were highlighted by the lawyers: ample yet problematic legislation exists, and knowledge will ensure legal success. The study recommends the necessity of performing revisions in the clinical psychological practices and assessments, and the legal policies regarding bullying and cyberbullying. In addition to improving legal success, this will reduce bullying prevalence rates, psychological distress, and psychopathology that can be comorbid or emerge as a result of this behaviour.

Bullying and cyberbullying studies in the school-aged population on the island of Ireland: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Bullying research has gained a substantial amount of interest in recent years because of the implications for child and adolescent development.

AIM AND SAMPLE

We conducted a meta-analysis of traditional and cyberbullying studies in the Republic and North of Ireland to gain an understanding of prevalence rates and associated issues (particularly psychological correlates and intervention strategies) among young people (primary and secondary school students).

METHOD

Four electronic databases were searched (PsychArticles, ERIC, PsychInfo and Education Research Complete) for studies of traditional bullying and cyberbullying behaviours (perpetrators, victims or both) published between January 1997 and April 2016.

RESULTS

A final sample of 39 articles fit our selection criteria. CMA software was used to estimate a pooled prevalence rate for traditional/cyberbullying victimization and perpetration. A systematic review on the psychological impacts for all types of bullying and previously used interventions in an Irish setting is also provided.

CONCLUSIONS

The results demonstrate the influence moderating factors (e.g., assessment tools, answer scale, time frame) have on reported prevalence rates. These results are discussed in light of current studies, and points for future research are considered.

A review of cyberbullying legislation in Qatar: Considerations for policy makers and educators

Cyberbullying is a worldwide problem affecting mental health, education, safety and general well-being for individuals across the globe. Despite the widespread availability of the Internet, research into prevalence rates of cyberbullying in Qatar is lacking and legislating for the crime has been slow to develop. Recently there have been some positive initiatives in the country such as a Cybercrime Prevention Law, the development of a National ICT Strategy, and a website detailing safe practice guidelines for Internet usage. However, the implementation and usage of these initiatives are still limited and there is a lack of awareness of cyberbullying in Qatar. As a result, the risk factors and consequences among school-aged children are unknown. The current paper presents an evaluation of the legislative and public policy solutions to cyberbullying available in Qatar, and outlines the critical challenges that could potentially face educators in shaping best practice guidelines for the future.