The emergence themes of cyberbullying among adolescences

Abstract

This paper focuses on the emergence factors and themes that surfaced as result of cyberbullying activities among adolescents in Malaysia that have never been reported before this one. The actual research attempted to fill the knowledge gap in cyberbullying phenomenon by focusing on factors that contribute to its activities among adolescents in Malaysia. In addition, the research seeks to understand the antecedents and the contexts and prevailing conditions that influence it, as well as the phenomenon, the coping strategies and the consequences resulting from the coping strategies. Using a grounded theory methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted on adolescents aged between 12 and 18 years from different schools in the state of Perlis. The data were analysed using NVivo 10 by methodically coding and categorising the data in open, axial and selective coding to arrive at a model development. A paradigm model will be obtained based on informants' individual comments and experiences that uniquely contribute to the body of knowledge on cyberbullying phenomenon in Malaysia. The involved elements derived from the model are; the antecedents of cyberbullying; the phenomenon; the coping strategies by informants and the consequences resulting from these strategies. The significance of this study lies in its attempt to provide a working framework for reducing adolescents' technology abuse that will eventually lead to cyberbullying and to find solutions for adolescents to tackle cyberbullying problems if it ever happened. This study is hoped to benefit all the parties: adolescents, parents, teachers and other stakeholders to minimise adolescents' cyberbullying phenomenon. At a time when most adolescents are exposed to cyber bullying around the world, this research is both timely and necessary.

Keywords::

• cyberbullying
• paradigm model
• grounded theory
• Facebook

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Hanif Suhairi Abu Bakar

Hanif Suhairi Abu Bakar is a senior lecturer in the Center for Communication Technology and Human Development at the Universiti Malaysia Perlis. His research interests focus on human communication, new media and information communication technology.