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Stakeholder Perceptions of Cyberbullying Cases: Application of the Uniform Definition of Bullying

NCJ Number
253460
Journal
Journal of Adolescent Health Volume: 4 Issue: 62 Dated: 2018 Pages: 444-449
Author(s)
Megan A. Moreno; Nina Suthamjanya; Ellen Selkie
Date Published
2018
Length
6 pages
Annotation
Since the Uniform Definition of Bullying was developed to address bullying and cyberbullying, as well as to promote consistency in measurement and policy, the current study sought to understand community stakeholder perceptions of typical cyberbullying cases, and to evaluate how these case descriptions align with the Uniform Definition.
Abstract

This qualitative case analysis recruited stakeholders commonly involved in cyberbullying. It used purposeful sampling to identify and recruit adolescents and young adults, parents, and professionals representing education and health care. Participants were asked to write a typical case of cyberbullying and descriptors in the context of a group discussion. Content analysis was applied to case excerpts, using inductive and deductive approaches, and chi-squared tests for mixed methods analyses. A total of 68 participants contributed; participants included 73 percent adults and 27 percent adolescents and young adults. A total of 650 excerpts were coded from participants' example cases; and 362 (55.6 percent) were consistent with components of the Uniform Definition. The most frequently mentioned component of the Uniform Definition was "Aggressive Behavior" (218 excerpts); whereas, "Repeated" was mentioned infrequently (19). Most participants included two to three components of the Uniform Definition within an example case; none of the example cases included all components of the Uniform Definition. This study concluded that most participants described cyberbullying cases with few components of the Uniform Definition. These findings can be applied toward considering refinement of the Uniform Definition to ensure stakeholders find it applicable to cyberbullying. (publisher abstract modified)