Cyberbullying as a Learned Behavior: Theoretical and Applied Implications

Abstract

Cyberbullying perpetration has emerged as a world-wide societal issue. Interventions need to be continuously updated to help reduce cyberbullying perpetration. We believe that data derived from theory can best accomplish this objective. Here, we argue for the importance of learning theory to understand cyberbullying perpetration. The purpose of this manuscript is to firstly describe the various learning theories that are applicable to describe cyberbullying perpetration, such as social learning, operant conditioning, the general learning model, and others. Second, we delve into the Barlett Gentile Cyberbullying Model, which integrates learning postulates and distinguishes cyber from traditional bullying. Finally, we offer a learning perspective on interventions and future research.