Cyberbullies and Cyberpunks, Oh My

Abstract

For decades, cyberbullying has been acknowledged as a social phenomenon that poses adverse effects on victims. Scholarship generally defines cyberbullying as repeated behaviors that intend to harm the victims. Prior studies aimed at investigating cyberbullying and victimization patterns among juveniles. Furthermore, risk factors, which increase the likelihood of cyberbullying engagement, had been revealed in several different studies. While there are consistent findings regarding the negative outcomes of cyberbullying, the trends are somewhat obscure due to inconsistent methodology. Furthermore, despite cyberbullying being a domestic and international issue, prior research practices have limited generalizability across samples. These limitations led to inherent gaps in the literature, which ultimately hinders a comprehensive understanding of cyberbullying. Thus, the ultimate purpose of this chapter is to provide both domestic and international reviews regarding cyberbullying engagement. By doing so, this chapter will navigate an in-depth analysis of cyberbullying worldwide.