Cyberbullying Among the Youth in Malaysia

Alia Balqis, Amir Aiman, Ling Wei Aw, Kirthiga A/P Maran
Universiti Sains Malaysia
Jalan Sg Dua, 11800 Minden, Pulau Pinang, Malaysia.
Correspondence Email: your usm email

ABSTRACT

The sudden emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the introduction of new
norms largely revolving around the use of social media and has disrupted the mental state of
the youth which in turn has led to an increase in cyberbullying. The rise in popularity of
many apps that facilitate online interactions has increased the risk of cyberbullying incidents.
Not only did the COVID-19 pandemic transform work and education tasks to online mode
but has also contributed to the digitization of bullying. As work moved home, so did the
bullying. The literature review findings revealed that there is a rise in cyberbullying incidents
resulting from the increased use of social media due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords: COVID-19, Cyberbullying, Social Media, Youth, Mental state.

INTRODUCTION

It has been a long time since the COVID-19 pandemic started changing the world in
many ways and gave people a new angle to look at the world. Technology has taken over
many aspects of this world, and the COVID-19 virus has speeded the transformation of many
manual jobs and tasks into electronics. The phenomenon of working and studying online by
default has become widespread, which has led to the spread of many virtual applications and
programs to facilitate many operations electronically. In the case of social distancing, it is the
internet connection that makes us aware of the developments of things, and it is through the
internet that we can run our business; In addition to maintaining a measure of mental and
physical well-being.

Today, the COVID19 pandemic has created new social habits due to a drastic shift in
lifestyles, and the increase in social media use is likely to play a crucial role in expanding
cyberbullying. Technology and social media dependency may lead to the success of an
individual or to their detriment, depending on who utilizes it and how it is utilized. The
sudden shift in lifestyle due to the COVID19 pandemic is likely related to the increased
reliance on social networks among the youth and should be studied to understand and reduce
cyberbullying. In this decade, direct or “traditional bullying” has expanded into a new form
of bullying referred to as cyberbullying, which is perpetrated through technology (Donegan,
2012; Tokunaga, 2010). Both cyberbullying and traditional bullying occur when there is a
power imbalance or display of aggressive behavior from the parties involved (Hunter, Boyle,
M.E, & Warden, 2007; Olweus, 2013; Kowalski et al., 2012; Smith 21 et al., 2012).
However, some studies suggest that a dangerous aspect of cyberbullying is the anonymity
present in many situations that creates a sense of powerlessness (Dooley et al., 2009;
Vandebosch & Cleemput, 2008). Hence, cyberbullying has become very popular due to the
ease of committing such acts anonymously, and with the increase in the use of the Internet, so
does cyberbullying.

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CONCLUSION

The spread of virtual bullying worldwide, especially in Malaysia, is a hidden crisis that may
destroy the confidence of young people in themselves. Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying
can happen at any time of the day anytime and anywhere. This study looked at the mentality of
the Malaysian youth on the topic of cyberbullying during the pandemic to further understand
young people's perception of this topic. We found that the proportion of cyberbullies who use
online social networking applications is much higher than their victims. In addition, due to
COVID-19 virus, people are spending more time on social networking apps, and gaming
services, which may contain toxicity, bullying and hate if not controlled. Cyberbullying is on the
rise, especially amongst the youth, and often through social networking sites and applications.
This study highlighted the relationship between the increase in social media and the increase in
cyberbullying under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

REFERENCES

Balakrishnan, V. (2015). Cyberbullying among young adults in Malaysia: The roles of gender, age
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.01.021
Buelga, S., Martínez–Ferrer, B., & Cava, M. (2017). Differences in family climate and family
communication among cyberbullies, cybervictims, and cyber bully–victims in adolescents.
Computers in Human Behavior, 76, 164–173. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2017.07.017