Tuesday 15 November 2016

Cybervictims’ emotional responses, attributions, and coping strategies for cyber victimization: a qualitative approach

an article by Michelle F. Wright (Department of Psychology, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic) published in Safer Communities Volume 15 Issue 3 (2016)

Abstract

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to understand cybervictims’ attributions, emotional responses, and coping strategies for cyberbullying incidents that they actually experienced.

Design/methodology/approach
There were 76 cybervictims (51 percent girls) between the ages of 12 and 14 included in this study. Adolescents participated in one-on-one interviews to provide comprehensive information about their attributions, emotional responses, and coping strategies for their actual experiences of cyberbullying.

Findings
Findings from the study revealed that cybervictims felt insecure and paranoid after experiencing cyber victimization. Cybervictims attributed to their experience of cyberbullying to drama or a fight between themselves and the perpetrators as well as being targeted by an ex-significant other or ex-friend seeking revenge against them for relationship dissolution. They also used adaptive (e.g. social support) and maladaptive (e.g. revenge) coping strategies to deal with cyber victimization, sometimes utilizing a combination of these strategies.

Originality/value
The findings of this study could help with the design of intervention and prevention programs designed to reduce or prevent the negative effects of cyberbullying.


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