When Disgruntled Students Go to Extremes: The Cyberbullying of Instructors

Abstract

When communication technologies are used by individuals to intentionally threaten or harm others, the potential for anyone to become a target of cyberbullying is very real. Therefore, when it comes to instructor–student interactions, even the most competent or award-winning instructors are not immune from cyberbullying if disgruntled students perceive problematic or unfair classroom behaviors by their instructors. This essay examines students' cyberbullying of instructors in order to increase our understanding of this very important, but understudied topic. Specifically, this essay examines what is known about the cyberbullying of instructors, considers how cyberbullying affects instructors and their respective institutions, and provides an agenda for ways instructional communication scholars can contribute to the scholarship of this very important topic.

Keywords:

• Disgruntled
• Students
• Cyberbullying
• Instructors

Special thanks to Ann Bainbridge Frymier and the two reviewers for their valuable contributions to this manuscript.

Special thanks to Ann Bainbridge Frymier and the two reviewers for their valuable contributions to this manuscript.