This annotated bibliography surveys three peer-reviewed studies on cyberbullying and its effects on adolescents. The first source examines how bullying victims cope with trauma, loneliness, and social isolation, including instances of PTSD and suicidal ideation among high schoolers. The second investigates cyberbullying in rural communities, highlighting how geography, anonymity, and lack of diversity shape online aggression. The third evaluates a state-run prevention program targeting parents of middle school students, finding that informed parents are more likely to intervene effectively. Together, the sources address victim experiences, contextual risk factors, and evidence-based prevention strategies.
The following annotated bibliography examines three peer-reviewed sources addressing cyberbullying among adolescents. The sources collectively explore victim experiences and coping strategies, the influence of rural community contexts, and the effectiveness of parent-focused prevention programs. Each annotation summarizes the source's content and methodology, then evaluates its relevance to cyberbullying research and prevention.
Evans, C.B.R., Cotter, K., & Smokowski, P. (2017). Giving victims of bullying a voice: A qualitative study of post-bullying reactions and coping strategies. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 34, 543–555.
All too often, the focus of research on bullying is on the perpetrators' motivations rather than the long-term negative impact upon the victims. This article is valuable because it addresses the fact that adolescents who are bullied are more likely to suffer from loneliness and a sense of social isolation. Its qualitative approach — via interviewing 22 victims from the same rural setting — was designed to solicit information directly from victims themselves, and has the additional value of allowing victims to speak in their own voices about the personal impact of bullying. Coping strategies included directly asking for help from adults, as well as negative strategies such as lashing out physically and verbally.
Although the study does not specifically focus on cyberbullying, it offers documentation of the impact bullying can have on the mental health of victims. It also demonstrates how both negative and positive coping strategies may be deployed by the victim. The study surveyed middle school-age and high school-age participants, offering a comparison of how different developmental groups may struggle with bullying. High schoolers were more likely to experience suicidal ideation and engage in negative self-reflection. Some of the most deeply affected participants reported experiences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). All students reported skipping school to avoid their bullies. Parents and teachers who showed sympathy and reached out to victims were identified as extremely helpful in counteracting the effects of bullying, in contrast to those who ignored the victimization and evident distress. Solutions as well as problems are thus identified by the article.
Reason, L. & Boyd, M. (2016). Cyberbullying in rural communities: Origin and processing through the lens of older adolescents. The Qualitative Report, 21(12), 2331–2348.
Because cyberbullying takes place in a virtual environment, it is often viewed as something that has little connection or relevance to the physical world around the individuals who perpetrate it or who are its victims. But this is not the case. This article makes clear that the larger exterior world can have a significant impact on how bullying is expressed. In rural areas with less exposure to diversity in terms of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, and other attributes, cyberbullying can be particularly toxic. The article is also useful as a reminder that certain populations and communities — particularly adolescents — are especially prone to engaging in bullying. As social media use among adolescents continues to climb, the prevalence of cyberbullying is a rising concern.
This article was also selected because it reflects an attempt to address an under-studied aspect of the existing literature. Previous studies had tended to focus on urban environments and victims of lower socioeconomic status, even though statistical evidence suggests that rural areas are more — rather than less — prone to cyberbullying. The article also offers a general analysis of why some individuals may engage in cyberbullying but not in other types of physical, face-to-face bullying, pointing to factors such as the anonymity provided by the Internet and the physical and emotional distance from the victim.
The approach used by the researchers was direct and involved, taking the form of a qualitative, phenomenological design intended to solicit information directly from participants. The study was conducted with former high school graduates in a virtual space, which offers a useful perspective on how research about online phenomena can make use of online media to collect data. Triangulation of data was used to improve data quality, drawing on evidence from interview transcriptions, Twitter microblog writings, and reflexivity logs.
Roberto, A. J., Eden, J., Deiss, D. M., Savage, M. W., & Ramos-Salazar, L. (2017). The short-term effects of a cyberbullying prevention intervention for parents of middle school students. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 14(9), 1038.
"State program educating parents about cyberbullying"
Together, these three sources offer a multi-dimensional view of cyberbullying, addressing victim experiences, community risk factors, and evidence-based strategies for prevention. From the voices of bullied adolescents to the dynamics of rural online communities and the role of informed parents, the research underscores that effective responses to cyberbullying require attention at the individual, community, and institutional levels.
You’re 74% through this paper. Sign up to read the remaining 1 section.
Sign Up Now — Instant Access Already a member? Log inAlways verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.