"Understanding the Complex Relationship between Traditional Bullying and

Cyberbullying"

The world of bullying is complex, and it affects both children and adults. However, bullying has
severe impacts on adolescents in schools. In recent years, there has been an ongoing debate in the
field of school psychology about the connection between traditional bullying (the kind that
happens in person) and cyberbullying (the type that takes place online). Researchers have been
trying to figure out if they are two separate problems and if they are closely related and have the
associated impact of the two.

A study of 1,225 Pacific Northwest middle and high school students sought to discover whether
there is a large overlap between online and in-person bullying and whether in-person bullying
predicts greater unfavourable consequences. The sample included pupils from grades 6 through
12, with an average age of 14.5 years and 69.80% of them being white.

The California Bullying Victimisation Scale was employed in the study to assess victims of
traditional bullying by analysing past occurrences of cruel or hurtful acts such as mocking,
rumours, exclusion, physical assault, threats, sexual jokes, and property damage.

The nine-item Cyberbullying Questionnaire was used to assess cyberbullying victimisation, with
an emphasis on mean or unpleasant events in the previous month. Students were asked to rate
their exposure to cyberbullying, with higher ratings indicating more exposure. A total
cyberbullying victim score ranging from 0 to 4 was calculated. If a kid reported experiencing one
or more forms of cyberbullying two or three times or more in the previous month, they were
classified as cyberbullied.

The measurement of psychological symptoms in students was conducted using the Psychological
Symptoms subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire.

Traditional Bullying vs. Cyberbullying:

Traditional bullying and cyberbullying have some similarities, but they also have differences.
Traditional bullying includes things like physical aggression that intends to harm, name-calling,
and teasing that happen face-to-face, it is always involves “power imbalance”. Living in diverse
world the article through another related research study conducted by Craig et all 2009 revealed
that 26% of adolescents are either bullies, victims or both. The major effects associated with
traditionally bullying includes depression, frequencies of missing school which led to poor
performance in classes, very lonely and lastly, they showed high levels of anxiety. Traditional
bullying has been seen to have a strong link to suicidal ideation.

Cyberbullying, on the other hand, takes place in digital platforms and involve sending mean
messages, spreading rumors, or sharing hurtful content through social networks and medias. Its
prevalence estimates range from 4% to 72%, with 20-40% of adolescents being harassed online
or by text messages. In the past decade, cyberbullying has been linked to negative outcomes such
as depression, social anxiety, reduced self-esteem, increased substance use, and academic
problems. Additionally, it is also linked to a higher incidence of suicidality among cyberbullying
victims.

The growing consensus is that many adolescents who are victimized online or by text messaging
also experience traditional forms of bullying at school. While reported overlap rates vary,
comprehensive comparisons have yielded overlaps of 65% and 85%, with some investigators
reporting rates as high as 88% and 93%.

The study confirms that there is a significant overlap between online and in-person bullying,
with 93.0% of participants reporting being bullied both in-person and online. The finding of this
study aligns with previous studies comparing cyberbullying and traditional bullying, suggesting
that cyberbullying may be an extension of traditional bullying. Additionally, the study confirms
that traditional bullying is more frequent than cyberbullying. The results of the study showed that
nearly half of participants (44.57%) were classified as victims of in-person bullying, with a low
frequency of events which means they had no more than two events per month and only 16.32%
of pupils were victims of cyberbullying.

Which One Harms More?

The study also delves into the impact of these two types of bullying on the psychological well-
being of middle and high school students. In order to find out more, the study employed a
simultaneous regression model to examine the relative contribution of both forms of bullying. It
revealed that traditional bullying has a more significant effect on negative psychological
symptoms than cyberbullying. But all types of bullying were still a strong predictor of mental
health problems when middle and high school students' age, gender, race or ethnicity, and other
demographic factors were taken into account.

Also, cyberbullying was found to be less robust when modelled on traditional bullying, similar to
Olweus's (2012) controversial paper and Demsey et al.'s (2009) findings that the impact of
cyberbullying on depression was no longer significant when compared to in-person bullying.
Despite some other studies comparing cybervictims' and traditional victims' psychological
outcomes, traditional bullying still produced twice the effect size of cyberbullying. What this
means is that, when we consider traditional bullying and cyberbullying together, traditional
bullying seems to have a more substantial influence on a student’s mental and emotional health.

In-person bullying is also more common than online victimisation, with higher occurrences
across all demographic categories. The majority of those who reported online bullying also
reported some in-person bullying. There was a strong association between the frequency of in-
person and online bullying, demonstrating a considerable difference in the prevalence of both
types of bullying.
The Role of Gender:
The study also looked at how gender affects the effects of bullying. This is to determine who is
more affected by which type of bullying. Traditional bullying was strongly associated with
psychological symptoms in girls, but cyberbullying exhibited a small negative association.
However, the study cautions that the outcome was not statistically significant and should be
viewed with caution, and it asks for additional research to investigate the unique impact of
cyberbullying, particularly on girls.
Traditional bullying and cyberbullying both appeared as important predictors of psychological
symptoms in boys. It's worth noting that, when traditional bullying was included, cyberbullying
appeared to have a stronger link with psychological symptoms in guys.

Why Does This Matter?

Understanding the link between traditional bullying and cyberbullying is essential for schools
and communities. As they allocate resources and develop anti-bullying programs, it's crucial to
base these efforts on scientific evidence. School psychologists and mental health professionals
play a vital role in these initiatives.
At a prevention level, creating a positive and supportive classroom environment can help reduce
bullying. By promoting kindness, respect, and support for individual differences, we can create
spaces where bullying is less likely to occur.

Conclusion:
Bullying, whether traditional or cyber, is a significant issue that affects the well-being of children
and adolescents in schools. The study discussed here provides valuable insights into the
connection between these forms of bullying and their impact on mental health. As we work to
combat bullying in our communities, understanding these dynamics can help us create more
effective strategies to protect and support children from home to school thus improve their
academic performance. The authors also encourage
Future research should look into the potential linkages between gender and various forms of
bullying.