Overview of research findings on cyberbullying in European scholls with referene to aims and objectives of EU funded Erasmus+ APPs project.

1. Eden Research Conference
Barcelona
2018

2.  Rapid growth of the internet and social media provides a new platform
for bullying. Cyberbullying describes any aggressive, intentional act,
behavior or communication undertaken an individual or group, using
electronic and digital means against a vulnerable victim, repeatedly and
over time.
 Reviews issues and themes identified in the international research on
cyberbullying. It summarizes key factors and provides a comparative
analysis based on research undertaken in five countries and schools
(Ireland, Spain, Italy, Poland and Romania).
 The Addressing teaching to Prevent cyber-bullying Phenomenon at Schools
(APPs) project was initiated in 2017 and funded under Erasmus +

3.  Research on cyberbullying is vast
 Significant interest from several disciplines
 Findings often contradictory
 Differences apparent over different cultures

4.  Since 1970 Dr. Dan Olweus, Professor of
Psychology with the Research Center for Health
Promotion (HEMIL), University of Bergen,
Norway, has been involved in research and
intervention work in the field of bullying with
schoolchildren and youth.
 Olweus conducted first systematic intervention
study against bullying in the world: now
the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP).

5. Olweus (2017) highlights:
• Research on cyberbullying is plagued by inconsistent
findings and exaggerated claims.
•To build a coherent body of knowledge, a consensual
definition is important.
• Cyberbullying overlaps a lot with traditional bullying.
• It is important to measure cyberbullying in a bullying
context.
• Cyberbullying should be regarded as a subcategory of
bullying.

6.  Cyberbullying poses a threat to adolescents’
health and well-being.
 Adolescents targeted via cyberbullying report
increased depressive affect, anxiety,
loneliness, suicidal behavior, and somatic
symptoms
 Perpetrators of cyberbullying are more likely
to report increased substance use,
aggression, and delinquent behaviors.

7.  95% of adolescents are connected to the
Internet.
 Shift from face-to-face communication to
online communication has created a unique
and potentially harmful dynamic for social
relationships
 This dynamic is explored in the literature as
cyberbullying and Internet harassment.

8.  Compared to traditional bullying, cyberbullying
is unique. It reaches an unlimited audience with
increased exposure across time and
space, preserves words and images in a more
permanent state, and lacks supervision.
 Perpetrators of cyberbullying do not see targets’
faces, may not understand full consequences of
their actions, have fewer feelings of personal
accountability: referred to in literature as
“disinhibition effect”.

9.  Depression
 Stress
 Poor health
 Fear
 Withdrawal
 Suicide

10.  Cybervictimization relates to disruption in
adolescents’ relationships.Targets of cyberbullying
reported more loneliness from parents and peers, and
increased feelings of isolation and helplessness.
 Adolescents who were both perpetrators and targets
experienced most adverse health outcomes, including
decreased psychological and physical health.
 Increased internalizing problems include: depression,
anxiety, suicidal ideation, psychosomatic concerns
(sleep difficulties, headaches, stomachaches), loss of
connection from parents and peers

11. Responses:
 Students 440 (possible 1245, c.35%)
 Teachers 99 (possible 122)
 Parents 142 (possible 192)

12. Key points: Students
• 23.6% did not understand cyberbullying
• 41.6% did not know about school’s response
• 69.6 did not know what supports were in school
• 46.1% said they had not discussed cyberbullying with their parents
• 16% said teachers had not discussed with them
• 52.7% do not know what to do if it happens
• 9.6% direct experience
• 38.9% indirect experience

13. Key Points:Teachers
• 55.6% have policies in place
• 46.9% have procedures
• 59.6% do not know about school/community
supports
• 87.8% said they discussed cyberbullying in school
[65.2% of these were informal]
• 61.9% had no professional support – but 54/3% had
in-service training

14. Key Points: Parents (1)
• 94.4% understood cyberbullying
• 75.7% discussed with children [NB children claimed
only 46.1%]
• 55.4% knew of school supports [32.8% knew
community supports]
• 67.2% said they would recognise signs of cyberbully
• 9.8% said child had experienced it
• Age 12 has a peak rate

15. Key Points: Parents contd./
• 24.3% approached school re their child (NB: 61.5% [26 people]
not satisfied with school’s response)
• 25% sought outside help
• 11.1% used the police
• 72.3% discuss online safety
• 66.2% of 139 responses allow children use IT in their bedrooms
(53% restrict usage/time)
• Many parents said a solution was to be more interested in their
children

16. “In one of my classes I discovered that a WhatsApp group was born a few weeks
Ago. Some students have been made to read some of the chats in this group, and many
were full of insults towards a young Muslim girl who only came to this class
earlier this year, insults, racist attitudes, even some were organizing themselves
to make jokes to this little girl. One of the guys who made me read the chats also told me that
the other day during the break, some of the guys have actually put a joke in place,
he was eating when one of them approached her. He stole her snack and ate
it in her face. When this happened another guy was filming. and I know that later the
video was posted on Facebook with racist comments. What amazed me most was the attitude
of those who were there and did not intervene, who read these messages and did nothing
for weeks.
Now I ask, we as teachers what can we do?
Which intervention from an educational point of view? And from a legal point of
view? I would like to talk with the manager but I wondered if even the spectators of these
acts of bullying and cyberbullying risk something. How can they be called into question? “

17.  Empathy and self-esteem, decreasing adolescents’
problem behaviors, promoting warm, nurturing
relationships with their parents, and monitoring
time spent online
 Empathy training seems particularly important
 Focus on adolescents’ emotional well-being during
the early high school years
 Change in school policies

18. • More information for children regarding what to
do in the case of cyberbullying
• Pay especial attention to the peak age for
negative experiences: 12 years old and use buddy
programmes
• Review current policies and procedures, in
consultation with families and children
• More consultation/cooperation with children and
parents in drawing up new policies and
procedures

19. • Recognition of the intrusive nature of
cyberbullying and the psychological impact is vital
• More information for parents regarding supports
already in existence
• More information for children on all aspects is
strongly endorsed and recommended
• Help parents communicate issues with their
children – especially digitally

20. Dr. Alan Bruce Imelda Graham
www.ulsystems.com
www.changelearning.eu