Cyberbullying in Irish schools: an investigation of personality and self-concept

Abstract

Cyberbullying has been defined as ‘an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself’. The aim of this research was to investigate cyberbullying in Irish secondary schools in relation to personality and self-concept. A sample of 876 students (n=534 male: 61%; n=342 female: 39%) aged between 12 and 16 years participated in the research. Respondents completed a Cyberbullying Questionnaire, the Jr. Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ) and the Piers–Harris 2. A total of 6.3% reported cyber victimisation during the previous three months. Analysis of the Jr. EPQ indicated that victims of cyberbullying and victims of traditional bullying displayed significantly higher (p<0.05) neuroticism levels compared with non-involved students (i.e., those uninvolved either as bullies or victims). The cyber and traditional victims displayed similar patterns across personality and self-concept. Findings are examined in the context of the existing literature.

Keywords:

• cyberbully
• bully
• victim
• personality
• self-concept