Tertiary students' perceptions of the impact of cyberbullying on their identity.

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT :In recent years there has been an increasing interest in the role cyberbullying plays in thepsychological well-being of people. While cyberbullying is a well-researched topicinternationally and nationally, few studies have researched the effects cyberbullying may haveon identity development. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions tertiarystudents hold about cyberbullying, and the impact that it may have on identity developmentwithin a South African context.The recent upsurge of the digital age in South Africa has not only paved the way in whichpeople communicate and interact socially, but also plays a pivotal role in the development of aperson's identity. Adolescents and emerging adults utilize instant messaging, text messaging,cellular phones, emails, and social-media platforms to communicate with people, to gainknowledge and keep up to date with what is happening in society and the world. Social-mediaplatforms, in particular, have been identified as the most favorable means of communicationbecause it provides instant and constant connectivity. These new channels of communicationand instant connection can often be regarded as advantageous. However, it also has the powerto abuse and incur psychological and emotional upset, which in turn can make peoplevulnerable. These experiences can be recognized as cyberbullying.A social constructivist framework grounded this study and was used to shed light on thefindings. The focus of using this lens was to present the participants meaning-making andillustrate how participants' realities and identities may be shaped through their experiences ofeither being cyberbullied or witnessing it first-hand.In using a qualitative approach, participants were selected by means of purposeful and snowballsampling. The criteria that needed to be met, stipulated that the participants had to be postgraduateuniversity students. Data was collected by means of individual semi-structuredinterviews and a focus group session. Seven participants participated in the individual semistructuredinterviews and three participants participated in the focus group session. The datathat was gathered, was analyzed through a thematic analysis where seven main themes emerged.These themes included narratives around cyberbullying, bullying, social-media platforms, therole of support the role of the bystander/witness, identity development in the different lifephases and intervention and prevention strategies. The research findings suggested that cyberbullying is a common problem that emerging adultsexperience and witness. The participants conveyed several factors that, in their opinions,maintain cyberbullying and also highlighted its perceived effects. Furthermore, the participantsshared their understanding of how perceived effects of cyberbullying may impact identitydevelopment. In addition to this, participants suggested a few strategies on how to deal withcyberbullying more effectively.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University