Bach-Nien Doan 

10/2/2024 

Relationship to principles of social science  

There is much evidence to prove that many sectors of businesses benefit from the internet. However, the use of technology has led to an increase in cyberbullying incidences in schools, universities and other settings outside an academic environment. Thus, social media, emails, instant messaging and other means of online socialization are used to bully victims with technology. Based on some studies offered by the article, victims report suicidal thoughts in addition to anxiety, depression, and other feelings of negativity after being bullied online. Thus, this suggests that there is a relationship between cyberbullying and suicide (cyberbullicide). Due to the existence of this relationship, the social science principle of relativism is used in this article (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024).  

Another social science principle used in this article is objectivity. In the case of this article, the study of the impacts of cyberbullying on Jordanian college students is objective in which the student sample is selected at random. The randomness of the sample will represent the many colleges, courses and grade levels from different locations of Jordan. The sample also represents a mix of males and females from colleges of science and from other colleges as well. Additionally, numerous scales are utilized to measure the effects of cyberbullying, regarding victimization, perpetration, and suicide among victims. Those students being sampled are asked a series of questions and asked to rate their responses on a scale for each question. However, no opinion-oriented questions were ever asked of the participants, which keeps the study of the article objective in nature (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024). 

Ethical neutrality is a social science principle used in this article. Sometimes, victims may feel that some questions are difficult to answer, or it elicits a negative response from the participants, making ethical neutrality important. The participants of the article’s study were told about the study’s purpose and its protocol of confidentiality. Participants had the right to consent to participating in the study and had the option of leaving the study for whatever reason. The questionnaire for data collection was sent via the internet for participants to complete at their convenience (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024). 

Description of study’s research questions or hypotheses  

The research questions included the frequency of cyberbullying among university students in Jordan, the variables connected to becoming a victim of cyberbullying, the effects of cyberbullying on the wellbeing and mental health of victims, and the frequency with which victims consider engaging in cyberbullying. Moreover, victimization, self-reported, victimization, and perpetration will be studied utilizing a general bullying scale ((Al-Badayneh et al., 2024). 

Description of the types of research methods used  

A survey was used by the researchers to gather data from a sample of Jordanian college students as part of a quantitative study design. Demographic data, experiences with cyberbullying, victimization factors, and mental health consequences were all included in the study. For instance, the participants were asked if they have ever experience cyber bullying. Another question asked whether participants have witnessed cyberbullying themselves. In addition to questions that required rating on an interval, other questions had yes or no responses instead (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024). 

Description of the types of data and analysis done  

Using a random sample of 1000 Jordanian students from different courses, institutions, and levels, representing all 12 Jordanian governorates, descriptive statistical analysis and logistic regression analyses were carried out. Out of them, 546 (54.6%) were female and 454 (45.4%) were male. 504 students (50.4%) from other institutions and 496 students (49.6%) from scientific colleges made up the sample. Several measures, including a general bullying scale, a cyberbullying victimization scale, a cyberbullying perpetration scale, a self-report cyberbullying scale, and a vicarious cyberbullying scale, were used in the study to quantify cyberbullying victimization. In addition, the study assessed involvement in violence, exposure to violence overall, and exposure to violence within the family. (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024, p. 58) 

How article relates to class concepts  

This article relates to cyber victimization in which technology is used to inflict harm on another individual. Things like prevalence of cyberbullying, factors related to victimization, and the impact of cyberbullying on one’s mental health are explored in this study. Studying each of these aspects improves our understanding of cyber victimization and its consequences on the victims. Research from the article has indicated that cyberbullying may result in suicide among most cyberbullied victims (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024). 

Relationship to challenges, concerns and contributions of marginalized groups  

Covid-19 has exacerbated cyberbullying among students in Jordan as they spent more time on social media and online video games. Thus, both children and youth are affected as bullies can use pseudonyms to conceal their identity. According to another piece of research cited in the article, bullies can video tape and take photos without consent and post it online to ridicule the victims. Consequently, this is an issue relating to privacy, which needs to be addressed immediately. (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024) 

Another issue is that there are no safeguards to regulate cyberbullying online. This can allow perpetrators everywhere to post and say whatever they want. These perpetrators can cyberbully without any consequences, and regulations are demanded by parents, and teachers alike to protect these kids and youth from the threats of the online world. (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024) 

Overall contribution of study to society  

This study has contributed its data, which has been compiled using various statistical methods, to other studies that aim to study cyberbullying as well. By using various statistical methods to compile data from participants, insights can be generated to make cyberbullying predictions about a full population of students from a small sample of Jordanian college students. Thus, the findings indicate that cyberbullying is a major issue for kids, youth, and college students today. It has led to several campaigns that raise awareness and demand for legislation to mitigate cyberbullying online. (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024) 

Conclusion 

Technology has enabled people as well as kids, youth, and college students to cyberbully other people. Perpetrators can inflict harm by sending emails, messages, pictures, and videos with malicious intent to their victims. The consequence of cyberbullying involves issues related to mental health. The chances of experiencing depression, anxiety, and thoughts of suicide are severely increased in those who have experienced cyberbullying. Thus, awareness, prevention, and legislation are needed to support victims, and to mitigate the impacts of cyberbullying. Thus, platform policies to mitigate and deal with bullying is a must on social media. (Al-Badayneh et al., 2024, p.75) 

Reference(s)  

Al-Badayneh, D., Khelifa, M., & Brik, A. B. (2024). Cyberbullying and Cyberbullicide Ideation Among Jordanian College Students. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 18(1), 58–82. https://cybercrimejournal.com/menuscript/index.php/cybercrimejournal/article/view/329/98