Bullying Enters the 21st Century? Turning a Critical Eye to Cyber-bullying Research

Abstract

Current concerns around cyber-bullying emphasize child-victims and have prompted calls for understanding and reaction to an alleged new type of child-offender. Though there is little doubt that cyber-bullying is a phenomenon with potential for real harm, there remain a number of critical gaps in the cyber-bullying literature. This article has two primary goals: a) to confront some methodological issues surrounding the study of cyber-bullying; and b) to draw attention to the potential of established criminological theories of delinquency for explaining cyber-bullying.