Mimetic theory and scapegoating in the age of cyberbullying: the case of Phoebe Prince

Abstract

Whilst traditional forms of bullying have and continue to receive considerable attention in the literature, research on technology-enabled bullying remains in an embryonic stage and considerable deficits exist in our understanding of the nature, extent, dynamics and consequents of this new form of bullying. Of the limited studies that exist on this issue, much relates to the United States. To date, there has been a dearth of comparative data from European countries, including the United Kingdom and Ireland. Furthermore, while questions arise about the way specific technologies might be used as a means of bullying, other questions arise about the extent to which cyberbullying is underpinned by the mimetic process in which scapegoats are identified and victimised within defined populations. This paper will examine the extent to which adolescent cyberbullying is related to social contexts such as post-primary schools and whether it can be explained by Girard’s mimetic theory of desire.

Keywords:

• bullying
• mimetic theory
• cyberbullying