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Cyberbullying in High Schools: A Study

of Students' Behaviors and Beliefs about
This New Phenomenon
a
Qing Li
a
University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

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Cyberbullying in High Schools: A Study

of Students’ Behaviors and Beliefs about
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This New Phenomenon

QING LI
Cyberbullying
Q. Li in High Schools

University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada

This study explores high school students’ beliefs and behaviors associ-
ated with cyberbullying. Specifically, it examines this new phenome-
non from the following four perspectives: (a) What happens after
students are cyberbullied? (b) What do students do when witnessing
cyberbullying? (c) Why do victims not report the incidents? and (d)
What are students’ opinions about cyberbullying? Data were collected
from 269 Grade 7 through 12 students in 5 Canadian schools.
Several themes have emerged from the analysis, which uncovers some
important patterns. One finding is that over 40% would do nothing if
they were cyberbullied, and only about 1 in 10 would inform adults.
Students feel reluctant to report cyberbullying incidents to adults in
schools for various reasons, which are discussed in depth.

KEYWORDS beliefs and behaviors, bystanders, cyberbullying,

cyber victim, high school students

Technology continues to develop rapidly and is therefore changing our

ways of functioning in society. This brings new dimensions to our
responsibilities as educators and mentors. Doors are constantly opening,
bringing more opportunities and at the same time requiring all of us to
rethink the ethical use of technology in schools. For example, Internet cell

Submitted 18 November 2008; revised 16 March 2010; accepted 17 March 2010

Address correspondence to Qing Li, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary, 2500
University Dr. NW, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada. E-mail: qinli@ucalgary.ca

372
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 373

phones and other communication technologies, while providing us with

conveniences, also expose our students to interactions that put their safety
and emotional well-being at risk. This article examines one negative use of
technology—cyberbullying—that is a new form of bullying with distinct
differences in form, personality, and response.
Recent research studies have shown that a substantial number of stu-
dents are victims of cyberbullying, which leads to a wider realization that
cyberbullying is becoming a serious problem (Cross, 2008; Li, 2006a, 2006b;
Thompson, Smith, & Goldsmith, 2008; Willard, 2004a). This finding calls for
a thorough understanding of cyberbullying that requires us to dissect the
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relationships among related variables in social, physical, institutional, and

community contexts. This study, therefore, explores student beliefs and
their behaviors associated with cyberbullying.

RELATED LITERATURE

Cyberbullying can be briefly defined as “sending or posting harmful or cruel

text or images using the Internet or other digital communication devices”
(Willard, 2004b, p. 1). This section starts with a definition of the term and an
exploration of various forms of cyberbullying. Then, findings from some empir-
ical studies are discussed to provide background information for this study.

Cyberbullying Defined
Cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technol-
ogies, such as e-mail, cell phone and pager text messages, instant messaging,
defamatory personal Web sites, and defamatory online personal polling
Web sites, to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an indi-
vidual or group that is intended to harm others (Belsey, 2004). According to
Willard (2004a), cyberbullying can take different forms, with the main forms
ranging from flaming, to harassment, to cyberstalking. The following list
gives a formal definition for each form:

• Flaming—Sending angry, rude, vulgar messages directed at a person or

persons privately or to an online group.
• Harassment—Repeatedly sending a person offensive messages.
• Cyberstalking—Harassment that include threats of harm or is highly
intimidating.
• Denigration (put-downs)— Sending or posting harmful, untrue, or cruel
statements about a person to other people.
• Masquerade—Pretending to be someone else and sending or posting
material that makes that person look bad or places that person in poten-
tial danger.
 374 Q. Li

• Outing and trickery—Sending or posting material about a person that

contains sensitive, private, or embarrassing information, including forwarding
private messages or images. Engaging in tricks to solicit embarrassing
information that is then made public.
• Exclusion—Actions that specifically and intentionally exclude a person
from an online group. (Willard, 2004b)

Cyberbullying can occur on blogs (interactive Web journals), Web sites,

in e-mails, listservs, chats, instant messaging, and text/digital image messag-
ing via mobile devices. It can relate to racial, religious, and cultural biases.
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Some Empirical Findings

Cyberbullying can occur at different age levels and in different geographical
areas. For example, a survey was conducted in 2004 involving 432 Grade 7
to 9 students from nine junior high schools from middle-class, ethnically
diverse communities in Calgary, Canada. The results showed that more than
two thirds of students have heard of cyberbullying incidents and about one
quarter have been cyberbullied (Beran & Li, 2005).
Another study of 177 seventh-grade students in Canada showed a similar
pattern (Li, 2007). Particularly, almost 15% of the students admitted that they
cyberbullied others. A theme that emerged was the anonymity associated
with this type of behavior in that over 40% of the cybervictims had no idea
who the bullies were. Further, less than 35% of the bystanders reported the
incident to adults.
This situation, however, is not unique to Canada. Survey studies con-
ducted in the United States, Great Britain, and other countries showed that
cyberbullying occurred in a similar fashion. For example, the 2004 i-SAFE
survey of 1,500 Grade 4 to 8 students (i-SAFE, 2004) and a study conducted
in the United Kingdom (Kennedy, 2005) showed the same trend.
Cyberbullying can be devastating for victims and their families. The psy-
chological harm inflicted by cyberbullying, just like bullying, is reflected in low
self-esteem, school failure, anger, anxiety, depression, school avoidance, school
violence, and suicide. It is even possible that the damage from cyberbullying
would be greater than bullying because there is no escape for the victims; harm-
ful material could be easily preserved as well as quickly and widely spread.
Further, many people who would not harass others face-to-face might cyber-
bully peers because they believe that they could hide or it would be acceptable
to engage in such behavior virtually (Beran & Li, 2005; Willard, 2004b).
When gender was considered, research (Borg, 1999; Boulton & Under-
wood, 1992) demonstrated that males and females showed different patterns
in bullying-related behaviors. In addition, it was suggested that females
might prefer to use electronic communication media such as chat rooms
and e-mail to bully others (Nelson, 2003; Thorp, 2004).
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 375

Some studies on traditional bullying identified a victim–bully cycle in

school (Besag, 1989; Ma, 2001). It was found that students who are physi-
cally stronger are less likely to be either victims or bullies (Perry, Kusel, &
Perry, 1988). A similar pattern was discerned in cyberspace. The findings of
a recent Canadian study of 264 middle-school students revealed a bullying–
cyberbullying–victim cycle. That is, bullying, cyberbullying, and victimization
are closely related. A research study showed that about half the bullies were
also cyberbullies. Similarly, over half the victims were involved in cyberbul-
lying, either as cyberbullies or as victims (Li, 2006a). Similar trends were
reported in studies elsewhere (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2004; Ybarra, Mitchell, &
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Finkelhor, 2006).
Patchin and Hinduja (2006) conducted an online survey involving 384
respondents who were under 18 years of age. Their results showed that various
forms of bullying occurred online, including being ignored (60.4%), disre-
spected (50.0%), called names (29.9%), threatened (21.4%), picked on
(19.8%), made fun of (19.3%), and having rumors spread about them
(18.8%). Despite the relatively large sample size, some scholars (Hoover,
Wilkins, Miltenoff, Downing, & Davis, 2007) cautioned readers not to over-
generalize this result because this work consisted of a convenience sample.
Using data from a multinational DAPHNE project, Thompson et al. (2008)
studied the incidence of cyberbullying among adolescents. In examining the
group dynamics of cyberbullying, the study shows important relationships
not only between traditional bullying and cyberbullying, but also between
the cyberbullying participant role and individual levels of self-esteem and
loneliness. Data from Australia demonstrated similar patterns. Cross,
Epstein, Clark, and Lester (2008) surveyed 10,000 Australian children aged 8
to 15 years in 2007 to investigate the nature and extent of cyberbullying,
and to assess the extent, mechanisms, characteristics, and social, emotional,
cognitive, and behavioral affect it had on the students who were bullied in
this way. Their preliminary analysis showed that 20% of the students
reported they were cybervictims and 10% were cyberbullies. Text messaging
over mobile phones was the most common medium used for cyberbullying.
Research studies have indicated that cyberbullying is becoming a major
issue in schools and has various negative effects. Nevertheless, it is not clear
how students’ beliefs and opinions affect their behaviors online, whether as
a cyberbully, a cybervictim, or a bystander. This study, therefore, examines
student opinions and beliefs in relation to their behaviors.

Theoretical Perspectives
The dynamic systems theory, originating from science, provides a theoretical
framework for this study. In this view, all human systems have emerged
from the “synthesis of the interaction of its parts. A systems view suggests
that the essential quality of a part or component of a system resides in its
 376 Q. Li

relationship with and contribution to the whole” (Banathy, 1994, p. 28). The
system’s view, therefore, extends the research into cyberbullying beyond
examining the cyberbullying–victim interaction. Examining cyberbullying
demands the exploration of the interaction among its components (e.g.,
cyberbullies, cybervictims, peers, teachers, and administrators) rather than
simply focusing on any group in isolation.
Further, the framework developed by Constantine, Curry, Diaz, and
Huh-Kim (2000), building on the theory of reasoned action, influences the
design of this research. In this framework, five construct domains—beliefs
and attitudes, perceived school/home climates, perceived self-efficacy,
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behavioral intentions, and behaviors—are considered to be critically related

and contributing to student actions, in this case, actions related to cyberbul-
lying. Therefore, students’ beliefs and opinions, whether as cyberbullies, as
cyberwitnesses, or as bystanders, about cyberbullying and their perceived
school and home climates (including bystanders’ and adults’ behaviors) all
contribute to their actions during and after the cyberbullying incidents.

Research Questions
This theoretical framework has guided the research design of this study,
including the specific research questions asked. As a result, addressing
cyberbullying issues entails a solid understanding of each of its components.
This study seeks to understand two critical groups (students involved in
cyberbullying and their peers) and examines their beliefs and behaviors.
Specifically, I was interested in the behaviors of both cybervictims and
bystanders during and after the cyberbullying incidents. Also of interest
were their opinions about cyberbullying in general and why they chose to
be silent. Specifically, the following research questions guide this exploration:

1. What happens after students are cyberbullied?

2. What do students do when they witness cyberbullying?
3. Why do cybervictims choose not to report the incidents?
4. What are students’ opinions about cyberbullying?

METHOD
Sample
Although a random selection of individual students was preferred, to ensure
complete anonymity and protect students from any negative consequences,
a random selection of classes rather than individual students was used. That
is, 15 classes of Grade 7 through 12 students who were enrolled in five
suburban and rural schools (with a balanced male–female ratio) in western
Canada were randomly selected from 167 classes. Originally, teachers of
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 377

TABLE 1 Student Grade Distribution

Grade n %

7 25 9.3
8 46 17.1
9 38 14.1
10 62 23.0
11 41 15.2
12 55 20.4
Total 267 99.3a
a
Due to missing values, the total does
not add up to 100%.
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these 15 classes distributed the survey to 312 students. Among these stu-
dents, only 269 (148 males, 101 females; 20 did not report gender) returned
the completed survey, which formed the sample of this study. Over 90% of
these students used the Internet at home and close to 47% used cell phones
at school. The self-reported academic achievement showed the following
pattern: 9.8% excellent, 37.5% above average, 44.9% average, and 7.8%
below average. The grade distribution of the sample is listed in Table 1.

Measures
Because cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, limited research is
available in this field. Consequently, few measures have been developed to
assess cyberbullying and related issues. This survey was built on the survey
instrument created by Willard (2004a) and my previous research in this area.
In addition, the theoretical framework described earlier and the existing lit-
erature guided the development of this instrument.
For example, because student-perceived school and home climates
contributed to cyberbullying, we asked students to comment on behaviors
of school adults and family members related to cyberbullying. They were
also asked to share their thoughts and experience as bystanders to explore
another important group in the mix: the witnessing peers. Because few
research studies have examined cyberbullying, which can be seen as bullying
moving to a new medium, it made sense to explore contributing factors
based on the relatively well-researched literature on traditional bullying.
Previous research showed that victims of bullying usually lacked the social
networks that could keep them from being victimized (Shaffer, 2000). Peers
as silent acceptors contributed greatly to the establishment and maintenance
of bullying systems (Jeffrey, Miller, & Linn, 2001). In addition, bullies tended
to have more physical power than their victims (Olweus, 1994). Based on
these results, questions were asked relating to students’ social lives (e.g.,
friends, extracurricular activities), physical strength compared to age peers,
and the reasons people chose to be silent accepters.
 378 Q. Li

The survey consisted of four parts. The first part collected students’
demographic data. The second and third parts examined students’ behaviors
and beliefs related to cyberbullying as either participants or bystanders. The
cyberbullying section dealt with students’ experiences and was scored in a
dichotomous fashion. The witness section examined students’ behaviors
and opinions related to bystanders. The fourth part of the survey included
students’ opinions about online behaviors in general, as well as their social
and physical lives. Responses for each item in this section ranged from 1
(strongly agree) to 5 (strongly disagree) on a 5-point Likert-type scale (see
Appendix for details).
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Procedure and Analysis

An ethics review was sought from the Research Ethics Board (REB). After
receiving the ethics approval, the Cyberbullying Student Survey was admin-
istered to students during a regular class period. The REB recommended not
using consent forms to ensure complete anonymity. Instead, it suggested accept-
ing unfilled questionnaires as an indication of unwillingness to participate.
Following the REB’s recommendation, students were informed that the
purpose of the research was to study their experiences of and beliefs about
cyberbullying. Letters and surveys were sent to the students’ homes. In the
parent letter, it was stated that if parents allowed a student to participate,
the student would put the completed questionnaire in the envelope pro-
vided (without names) and return it. If parents were not interested, students
would simply return the envelopes with the blank questionnaires.
In this article, quantitative analysis of the student questionnaires was used
to examine students’ behaviors and beliefs about cyberbullying. This study was
a preliminary analysis of the data, and only descriptive statistics were used.

RESULTS

The first research question directed our attention to what happened after
students were cyberbullied. This was examined through the following four
perspectives: reaction, behavior, consequence of informing others, and
helper (see Table 2 for details).
What were students’ reactions to cyberbullying? The results showed
that the students were almost evenly divided into four groups: one group
thought it was no big deal and one group just lived with it. The third group
felt upset or really upset, and the fourth group had no opinion.
What did students do after they were cyberbullied? Apparently, only a
few tried to take revenge; the majority of students chose not to inform anyone.
Two out of five did nothing, and less than a quarter told the cyberbully to
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 379

TABLE 2 Reaction, Behavior, Consequence, and Helper

Construct n %

Reaction (N = 266)
No big deal 71 26.8
Live with it 70 26.4
Upset or really upset 65 24.5
No opinion 59 22.3
Behavior (N = 247)
Do nothing 105 42.5
Tell the cyberbully to stop 56 22.7
Get away from the cyberbully 101 40.9
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Cyberbully other people 9 3.6

Bully other kids 6 2.4
Tell an adult 29 11.7
Tell a friend 58 23.5
Consequence (N = 142)
It got better 21 14.7
It got worse 8 5.6
Nothing changed 57 40.1
I never told anyone 56 39.4
Helper (N = 142)
My parents 21 14.8
My siblings 13 9.2
Adults at school 3 2.1
My friend 53 37.3
Nobody 70 49.3

stop. Two out of five victims chose to get away (e.g., log off) from the
cyberbully. Only a small proportion (6%) tried to take revenge on the cyber-
bully or bully others. One tenth of them informed adults, and about one in
five told friends.
What happened after the students told someone about the incidents?
The students’ responses showed that only 15% said the situation got better,
but about 6% said it got even worse. Two in five students never told any-
one, but nothing had changed for another 40% of the students. Who tried to
help if students were cyberbullied? Nearly 15% said parents and almost 10%
said siblings. Only 2.1% students reported that school adults (e.g., teachers,
school administrators) tried to help. Over 37% said that their friends tried to
help, but nearly half said that nobody tried to help.
The second research question asked about the behaviors of bystanders.
The results demonstrated that over 43% reported they had never witnessed
cyberbullying, about 28% reported they saw cyberbullying once or twice,
close to 15% reported seeing cyberbullying a few times, and another 15%
reported they observed such behavior many times or almost every day.
When students witnessed cyberbullying, about one in seven chose to
join in and one in eight actually cheered the cyberbully on. The vast majority,
over 70%, reported that they watched but did not participate. Over 25% said
 380 Q. Li

they chose to leave the online environment. Almost 9% reported they

objected to others but not directly to the cyberbully, whereas 23% answered
they objected directly to the cyberbully. About 35% tried to help or befriend
the victim, but less than 10% reported the incidents to someone who could
help the victim (see Table 3 for details).
Participants were asked a hypothetical question: “If you were cyberbul-
lied at school or at home, would you report the incident to a school counse-
lor, teacher, or administrator?” Less than 18% responded “Probably yes,” and
over 80% answered “No.” What were the main reasons students chose not to
report the incident? Over 17% said they did not think the school staff would
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understand or believe them; close to half did not think the school would or
could do anything to stop it. Nearly 18% thought they could get themselves
into trouble either because they might also be at fault or for no reason. More
than 28% worried that it could exacerbate the problem; over one-fifth of the
students were concerned that other students would make fun of them. Close
to 27% worried that their parents might restrict their access to the technology.
Although 23% of the students believed they needed to learn to deal with
cyberbullying, close to 45% thought people should simply ignore cyberbully-
ing because it was “no big deal.” See Table 4 for details.
The last research question concerned students’ opinions about cyber-
bullying, which were explored from the following perspectives: cause, feeling,
and beliefs. Table 5 provides details.
What did the students consider the intention of cyberbullying to be? About
one in five thought it was because cyberbullies considered such behavior “cool”;
almost 45% of the students thought the cyberbullies either felt insecure or were
angry or jealous. Over 63% believed that cyberbullies did it for fun. Almost 45%
of students thought that the cyberbullies were mean, bored, or having family
problems. Nearly 30% believed that cyberbullies used it as a defense mechanism.

TABLE 3 Witness

Construct n %

Witness (N = 266)
Never 115 43.2
Once/twice 74 27.8
Few times 39 14.7
Many times or almost everyday 38 14.3
Bystanders’ behavior (N = 151)
Join in 20 13.3
Cheer the cyberbully on 19 12.6
Watch but do not participate 106 70.2
Leave the online environment 39 25.8
Object to others but not directly to the cyberbully 13 8.6
Object directly to the cyberbully 35 23.2
Tried to help or befriend the victim 53 35.1
Report to someone who could help 14 9.3
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 381

TABLE 4 Reasons for Not Reporting

Reason (N = 216) n %

I don’t think school staff would understand or believe me. 38 17.5

I don’t think the school would or could do anything to stop it. 103 47.5
I could get myself into trouble, because I could also be at fault. 39 18.1
I could get myself into trouble even if I had done nothing wrong. 38 17.6
The cyberbully could get back at me and make things even worse. 61 28.2
Other students could make fun of me. 47 21.8
My parents could find out and might restrict my access to the 58 26.9
Internet or other technologies.
I need to learn to deal with cyberbullying by myself. 50 23.1
Cyberbullying is no big deal. People should just ignore it. 96 44.4
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TABLE 5 Student Beliefs About Cyberbullying

Construct n %

Cause (N = 264)
Cool 54 20.5
Insecure 122 46.2
Angry 119 45.1
Jealous 118 44.9
Fun 168 63.9
Mean 109 41.4
Bored 117 44.5
Defense mechanism 75 28.5
Family problem 118 44.9
Feeling (N = 261)
Deserve 21 8
Nothing we can do 122 46.7
Need to stop 118 45.2
Beliefs (N = 264)
Happen online stay online 93 35.4
I have the right to say anything I want 46 17.4
Adults should stay out of this 66 25
A kind and respectful online world 123 46.6

How did students feel about people being cyberbullied? Only 8%

thought the victims deserved it. It was evenly divided (over 45%) between
the students who thought there was nothing that could be done about it
and those who thought it needed to be stopped, although both groups
believed cyberbullying was bad.
What were students’ opinions and beliefs about cyberbullying? Over
35% thought that what happened online should stay online. Close to 18%
considered that people have the right to say anything they want online,
even if what they say hurts someone or violates his or her privacy. One fifth
of the students would like adults to stay out of this; over 46% called for the
creation of a kinder and more respectful online world.
 382 Q. Li

DISCUSSION

This study extends the literature on cyberbullying in several ways. First,

because cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon, there are few studies
on this issue. Of these studies, few, if any, explored students’ beliefs and
behaviors related to these aggressive acts. For the first time, therefore, this
study has investigated the possible relationships between the opinions and
actions of the students, whether as cyberbully, victim, or bystander.
Second, several themes have emerged that enable us to understand the
factors related to cyberbullying. One finding is that although almost a quarter
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of the students felt upset about cyberbullying, over 40% would do nothing if
they were cyberbullied. About one in 10 would inform adults. This shows that
a sizable number of the victims are rather passive. Whether bullying happens
in the real world or in the cyberworld, victims’ strategies are either to ignore it
or try getting away from it rather than informing others, much less adults.
Why would many of the victims choose not to tell others about the
incidents? Looking into the consequences, we see that in less than one in
six cases, the situation got better when the victims told others about the
incident. In a few cases, things got even worse. In most cases, nothing
changed, so the students thought, “Why bother?” In examining the helpers,
we realized that friends were the ones most likely to help. This could be
explained by the fact that the victims often inform only their friends. As sug-
gested by dynamic systems theory, cyberbullying is a result of the interaction
of its system’s components. Thus, peers play a strong role in sustaining
cyberbullying, and this is consistent with our observation of regular bullying
(Espelage & Holt 2001). Because friends have a strong influence on stu-
dents’ emotional, behavioral, and affective development (Bukowski, 2001;
Nangle & Erdley, 2001), they can help reduce cybervictims’ anxiety. Friends
can also provide protection and coping advice to victims in the real world
or in cyberspace (Hodges & Perry 1999; Jeffrey et al., 2001). As demon-
strated by this study, one in four onlookers confronted the cyberbully
directly, and over 35% tried to help or befriend the victim. One implication
is that we need to pay particular attention to students when designing pre-
vention programs. We need to educate them about their responsibilities and
how to support each other.
An important task of this study was to reveal why students feel reluctant
to report cyberbullying incidents to adults in schools. Several important
issues emerged that were related to this. First, the data show that in less
than 3% of cases did adults at schools try to help. Second, the highest
proportion (close to half) of the students said, “I do not think the school
would or could do anything to stop it.” One reason for this phenomenon
might be that cyberbullying is a relatively new phenomenon and most
schools have yet to understand the issue, let alone establish effective pro-
tection and intervention programs (Trolley, Hanel, & Shields, 2006). Third,
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 383

many students have expressed their distrust of others, particularly adults in

schools (e.g., “I don’t think school staff would believe me”). Considering
these reasons, we should not be surprised that students keep silent. More
important, the student narrative “I do not trust other people” capitalizes on
the need to establish trustworthy relationships among students and adults in
schools and beyond. It shows the importance of developing policy and
programs to combat cyberbullying.
Another important reason for not reporting the incidents, as indicated
by a large number of students, is the fear that the cyberbully could get back
and escalate the problem. It seems that anonymity, this unique characteristic
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of technology, works for cyberbullies but against victims. It enables the pro-
tection of bullies by hiding their identity and leaving victims vulnerable.
This explains why the students were apprehensive, and it makes the battle
against cyberbullying much harder.
Another fear many students had was that they might get themselves
into trouble, for instance, being ridiculed or restricted in their use of the
technology. Research has demonstrated that our students have changed rad-
ically due to the rapid development and diffusion of digital technology (Li,
2005; Prensky, 2001). Technology has become an integral part of their lives;
therefore, restricting access to the Internet or other technology profoundly
affects their work and life. These effects should be remembered when
considering prevention strategies.
Many students felt that it was necessary to learn how to deal with cyber-
bullying by themselves. This is convergent with recommendations made in
previous research studies (Li, 2007; Trolley et al., 2006) and urges us, as edu-
cators and researchers, to develop effective strategies to guide our students.
When the focus shifts to witnesses, we see that about one in eight stu-
dents who observed the incidents actually joined in or cheered the cyber-
bully on. The majority, however, were bystanders who simply watched but
did not participate. Therefore, the behaviors of such substantial numbers of
onlookers, either cheering on, joining in, or even just paying attention,
encourages and motivates cyberbullies (Siu, 2004). This situation, coupled
with the victim’s submissive behavior, exacerbates and sustains cyberbullies’
aggressive acts.
What are students’ beliefs about cyberbullying? Why do they think people
behave this way? About 45% think various factors cause the problem, ranging
from feeling insecure, angry, jealous, or mean, to feeling bored or having
family issues. A troubling finding, however, is that the majority (about 64%)
believe that cyberbullies do it for fun. Even more disturbing is the fact that
one in five perceived cyberbullying as a “cool” act. This might be explained
by students’ perception that technology is exciting. These students might
think that using it for aggressive acts is creative. Further, they might not
realize the seriousness of cyberbullying. For example, one student’s narra-
tive, “I bully online and it does not mean anything,” demonstrates that some
 384 Q. Li

fail to see the negative effect of cyberbullying or bullying on victims. The

actual reason behind this perception is unclear; nonetheless, it deserves our
serious consideration because this is a potentially dangerous perception.
What do students feel about cybervictims? Almost half think that it is
bad but nothing can be done. One student’s comment summarizes this feeling:
“No one cares. Deal with it yourself.” Another 45% hold the belief that this
is a serious problem and needs to be stopped. Only a small number of stu-
dents perceived that the cybervictims deserved it.
Another important theme emerged relating to freedom of speech. One in
six students considered that people have the right to say anything they want,
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even if what they say hurts someone or violates someone’s privacy. This find-
ing presents a dilemma: How can we combat cyberbullying yet respect and
exercise our freedom of expression? Although we understand that there is no
absolute freedom of speech, balancing the two is the ultimate question.
A noteworthy finding of this study is that one in three students believed
that what happens online should stay online. This reflects a general perception
that the cyberspace is separated from the real world. Although this might have
been true when the Internet was first introduced, our cyberlife is increasingly
intertwined with our real life (Fischer, 2006). What we do online affects what
we do in real life. Harassment that occurs in cyberspace might also occur in
person. Therefore, technologies must be monitored and modified to manage
cyberbullying and promote the responsible use of technology.

CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Addressing cyberbullying should be a collective effort on the part of

schools, families, students, and society. Because cyberbullying happens out-
side of school boundaries, schools might direct such issues back to parents,
saying that they have no legal jurisdiction. However, cyberbullying can be
rooted in school or vice versa, even if the incidents appear to be initiated
using school property. This requires schools to consider the development of
comprehensive programs to fight cyberbullying, including detailed and unified
policies as well as effective programs to educate students. The following are
some recommendations intended to solve the problem.
First, schools need to establish systematic programs to stop cyberbullying.
Such programs should develop strong policies on both traditional bullying
and cyberbullying. Administrators should investigate current acceptable-use
policies for technology (e.g., mobile, Internet) in the schools. Telling others
such as school adults or family members remains an effective strategy for
combating cyberbullying. It is important to establish easy and multiple ways
of reporting. For example, we could create help lines (e.g., a phone line),
e-mail, or Web links, and provide a box or similar device in hot spots in
schools so students can report incidents or offer suggestions anonymously.
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 385

Second, schools should educate school adults, students, and parents

about cyberbullying and provide clear procedures to follow when cyberbul-
lying occurs. At the fundamental level, adults, including teachers and par-
ents, need to keep pace with new technology to understand how students
communicate and how cyberbullying happens. The results of this study
indicate that school adults provide limited help, which might be caused by
their lack of training in how to deal with cyberbullying. Effective strategies,
therefore, need to be included in school adults’ professional development
opportunities. Schools can also provide opportunities for parents to learn
such strategies. Similarly, approaches to cyberbullying issues need to go
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beyond the one-time workshop mode for students and be part of regular
curriculum learning. Such education can take place in different school situa-
tions, including classrooms, assemblies, and continuing education pro-
grams. For example, schools can use forums not only to mediate between
cyberbullies and cyber victims, but also to offer opportunities for students to
develop adaptive skills, such as dealing with emotional conflict and build-
ing positive behavioral patterns. Such forums help to build a strong rapport
and trustworthy relationships between students and school adults as well as
among students. In addition, such events can involve parents to build their
competency in stopping cyberbullying.
Students, a key group in fighting cyberbullying, need to learn responsi-
bilities associated with the use of technology. They should be aware of the
consequences of misuse of technology so that responsible behaviors can be
promoted at an early age. They need to understand the dangers that exist
and the importance of getting help from responsible adults when cyberbully-
ing occurs. When reporting incidents to responsible adults, students should
understand that they might need to be persistent to ensure that adults recog-
nize the seriousness of the incidents. They can also ask the adults what they
plan to do to solve the problem.

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APPENDIX
CYBERBULLYING STUDENT SURVEY

This survey seeks information from students about cyberbullying. Cyberbully-

ing includes, but is not limited to sending angry, rude, vulgar messages about a
person to an online group or to that person electronically; or sending harmful,
untrue, or cruel statements about a person to other people or posting such
material online; or pretending to be someone else and sending or posting
material that makes that person look bad; or sending or posting material about
a person that contains sensitive, private, or embarrassing information, including
forwarding private messages or images, or cruelly excluding someone from
 388 Q. Li

an online group. Cyberbullying might occur at home or at school, through the

Internet network or a cell phone used. Your responses to this survey are confi-
dential. You may also choose not to respond to this survey. By completing this
survey, you are granting the researcher permission to use this information.

Part I: About You

1. Your grade:____ Gender: ____M____F Ethnic Background (e.g., Asian):

___________
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2. Do you use the Internet at home? ______Yes ______No

3. Do you use a cell phone at school? ______Yes ______No
4. On the following scale, consider A to be the best and C to be the average,
your school grades are usually (circle one):
A………….B…………C…………D………..E

5. How often do you engage in extracurricular activities, such as band or

sports teams?
___Never ___About once/week ___ About 2 times/week ___ About 3
times/week ___4+ times/week

Part II: Cyberbullying (Your Experience)

1. How often have you been cyberbullied? Check one that applies.
___ Never ___ Once/Twice ___ A few times ___Many times ___Almost
every day

2. How often have you cyberbullied others? Check one that applies.
___Never ___Once/Twice ___A few times ___Many times ___Almost
every day

3. On the following scale, check your reaction to cyberbullying

___No big deal ___Live with it ___Upset ___Very upset ___No opinion

4. When you are cyberbullied, you (check all that apply)

__Do nothing
__Tell the cyberbully to stop
__Get away (e.g., log off) from the cyberbully
__Cyberbully other people
__Bully other kids
__Tell an adult
__Tell a friend
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 389

5. If you have been cyberbullied, what happened after you told

someone?
__It got better
__It got worse
__Nothing changed
__I never told anyone.
__I’ve never been cyberbullied.

6. If you have been cyberbullied, who has tried to help you? (check all that
apply)
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__My parents
__My sister(s) or brother(s)
__A teacher or another adult at school
__My friend(s)
__Nobody
__I’ve never been cyberbullied.

7. Why do you think people cyberbully others? Because (circle all that
apply)
__It is cool
__They feel insecure
__They are angry
__They are jealous
__They think it’s fun
__They are mean
__They are bored
__They think it is a defense mechanism
__They have family problems
__Other, specify_______________________________________________

8. What is your feeling about people being cyberbullied?

__They deserve it
__It’s too bad, but there is nothing we can do about it.
__It is a very serious problem and we need to stop it.

9. I have friends who (check all that apply)

__have bullied others
__have been bullied by others
__have cyberbullied others
__have been cyberbullied by others
__I have no friends.
 390 Q. Li

Part III: Witness

10. How frequently have you been a witness to cyberbullying incidents?

___Never ___Once/Twice ___A few times ___Many times ___Almost
every day

11. If you have been a witness to cyberbullying incidents, what is your nor-
mal response (check all that apply)?
__Join in
__Cheer the cyberbully on
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__Watch or look, but do not participate

__Leave the online environment
__Object to others, but not directly to the cyberbully
__Object to the cyberbully
__Try to help or befriend the victim
__Report the cyberbullying to someone who can help the victim
__Have not been a witness
__Other, specify________________________________________________

12. If you were cyberbullied at school or at home, would you report the
cyberbullying to a school counselor, teacher, or administrator?
____Probably yes _____Probably no

• If you answered “probably no,” what are the most important reasons why
you would probably not report (check all that apply):

__I don’t think school staff would understand or believe me

__I don’t think the school would or could do anything to stop it
__I could get myself into trouble, because I could also be at fault
__I could get myself into trouble, even if I had done nothing wrong
__The cyberbully could get back at me and make things even worse
__Other students could make fun of me
__My parents could find out and might restrict my access to the Internet
or other technologies
__I need to learn to deal with cyberbullying by myself
__Cyberbullying is no big deal. People should just ignore it
__Other, specify_________________________________________________

13. If someone was cyberbullying you at home or at school, would you tell
your parent/guardian?
____Probably yes ____Probably no
 Cyberbullying in High Schools 391

• If you answered “probably no,” what are the most important reasons why
you would probably not report (check all that apply):

__I don’t think my parent/guardian would understand or believe me

__I don’t think my parent/guardian would know how to stop it
__I could get myself into trouble, because I could also be at fault
__I could get myself into trouble, even if I had done nothing wrong
__They cyberbully could get back at me and make things even worse
__Other students could make fun of me
__My parents could find out and might restrict my access to the Internet
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or other technologies
__I need to learn to deal with cyberbullying by myself
__Cyberbullying is no big deal. People should just ignore it
__Other, specify_________________________________________________

Part IV: Your opinion

14. Please indicate your opinion to the following statements:

• Cyberbullying is a normal part of the online world. There is nothing anyone

can do to stop it.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
• I know of someone who has been really hurt by cyberbullying.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
• Things that happen online should stay online.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
• If someone is being hurt by cyberbullying, it is important to tell a responsible
adult.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
• I would report cyberbullying incidents, if I could do so without anyone
knowing it was me.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
• I have the right to say anything I want online, even if what I say hurts
someone or violates someone’s privacy.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
• Adults should stay out of this.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
• I would like to create a more kind and respectful online world.
___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree
 392 Q. Li

15. In school, I am very popular

___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree

16. In school, I have many friends

___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree

17. I have friends who are physically strong

___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree

18. Generally speaking, I am physically stronger than my peers

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___Strongly agree___ Agree___ Neutral ___ Disagree ___Strongly disagree

19. In your opinion, what would be the most effective way to stop cyber-
bullying? Specify.