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A thematic analysis of adolescents' perceptions of cyberbullying and cyberaggression: definitional distinctions and
Emily J Smith1, Roshan Rai1, Mark O Scase1
1Division of Psychology, Social Science Research and Innovation Institute, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, De Montfort University, Leicester, United Kingdom.
Background:
Adolescents are highly active online, which increases their exposure to harmful online behaviors, such as cyberbullying and cyberaggression. Extensive issues have been highlighted in the literature surrounding the conceptualization of cyberbullying, specifically those related to its definition, criteria and measurement. Cyberaggression was instead proposed to overcome these issues and adopt a more inclusive approach to researching online aggressive behaviors. However, despite the distinct differences between cyberbullying and cyberaggression, these terms are often used interchangeably leading to additional conceptual issues. This research explores how adolescents themselves perceive and understand the concepts of cyberbullying and cyberaggression.
Methods:
Three focus groups were conducted with 18 adolescents (aged 14-15) who used social media. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and explore common themes related to their perceptions of cyberbullying and cyber aggression.
Results:
Four main themes were identified: Unclear definitional distinctions surrounding cyberbullying and cyberaggression, Unhelpful and unrelatable education, Complexities of the school environment, and Social media as a tool for perpetration. The findings revealed that adolescents' conceptualizations of cyberbullying were not consistent with academic definitions, and found it difficult to differentiate between cyberbullying and cyberaggression. Participants were dissatisfied with the outdated cyber-based education and identified barriers and concerns with reporting in their school. Adolescents' perceptions were also largely underpinned by narratives of blame and responsibility.
Conclusion:
Practical implications concerning support and education are provided, though given the persistent conceptual issues with cyberbullying, adopting the broader construct of cyberaggression may provide a clearer framework for research, intervention and practice.
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