Article Review #1

Cyberbullying and Psychological Stress

By Justin White

CYSE 201S

Professor Yalpi

February 19th. 2025

Introduction and Social Science

There are numerous complex problems that overlap across  many disciplines, and one issue that is both on the rise and repeating in today’s world is cyberbullying and psychological stress caused by our environments, whether corporate or personal. As such, Mohammed A. Al Doghan and Saman Arshad’s article, Cyberbullying and Psychological Stress Among Female Employees, is an article I believe is a good example that describes this ongoing issue that investigates the impact of workplace cyberbullying on female Saudi employees. The study assesses how cyberbullying influences job dedication, psychological well-being, and perceptions of justice. As online interaction becomes more popular, workplace harassment goes beyond physical boundaries, making this research crucial to understanding modern workplace relations.

The topic is related to social scientific principles, specifically psychology, sociology, organizational behavior, and social justice. According to the authors, cyberbullying is “any behavior performed by individuals or groups via electronic or digital media intended to inflict harm or discomfort on others” (Al Doghan & Arshad, 2023, p. 167). This is true with beliefs regarding workplace ethics, power imbalances, and professional stress. The research conducted contains the conversations about social justice by emphasizing the impact of cyberbullying on female employees.

Research Methods and Analysis

With the problem of cyberbullying and psychological stress within a workplace and personal lives, one may wonder how do you truly find if it’s a problem or a consistent event that happens across the world. Well, this study aimed to investigate how cyberbullying affected organizational dedication, cyberbullying and stress, the impact on interracial/gender justice, and whether perceived justice remedied cyberbullying and workplace satisfaction. These questions aim to understand how cyberbullying affects workers’ work experiences and whether fairness beliefs moderate these effects. Understanding these links is critical to enhancing workplace policy and employee well-being. Thus, a method used for this study was a self-administered survey that would analyze the responses using a structural equation modeling (SEM) which uses a quantitative research approach. These methods were utilized to study trends, and the authors hypothesize that workplace cyberbullying decreases employee dedication and perceived justice while emphasizing psychological distress and job happiness (Al Doghan & Arshad, 2023).

Finding and Concepts

The study confirms that workplace cyberbullying negatively impacts female employees’ work experience and well-being. Employees who have been cyberbullied are less engaged and committed to the organization. Furthermore, cyberbullying impairs employees’ perceptions of fairness, compromising their belief of equality in workplace situations. The study also reveals that workplace cyberbullying affects job satisfaction, and this effect is mediated by supposed interactional/gender fairness, which means that employees who feel unfairly treated as a result of cyberbullying are more likely to report unhappiness.

These findings concern human factors in cybersecurity, which investigates how psychological variables influence technology use. As stated from the article and from the course, this study demonstrates how emotional and psychological weaknesses can be exploited in digital settings, resulting in unpleasant work environments. Thus, when employees feel their workplace lacks fairness, safety, and respect, mental health and dedication suffer.

Impact of Marginalized Groups and Contributions

The authors found that female employees are more exposed to workplace cyberbullying as a result of power inequalities and cultural norms. Many employees are hesitant to report occurrences for fear of reprisal or a lack of support, which reinforces workplace inequality and contributes to emotional anguish, job discontent, and limited career progress. The research topic focuses on how these constraints particularly impact women, restricting their professional options and increasing workplace stress. Addressing these concerns is critical for organizations that want to build inclusive and equitable work environments. This research benefits society by updating HR policy on workplace harassment prevention and offering insights into how digital communication affects employee well-being. The authors emphasize the need for enhanced workplace regulations, staff training in ethical digital communication, and increased mental health resources. As remote work and digital communication become more common, these measures become increasingly important in establishing safer, more fair workplaces.

Conclusion

The article emphasizes the negative implications of workplace cyberbullying, particularly for female employees, including job discontent, psychological stress, and perceived injustice. The findings are relevant to social science concerns about workplace ethics, mental health, and gender inequities. The report emphasizes the need for improved workplace regulations and additional research on cyberbullying across businesses and demographics. Addressing workplace cyberbullying through regulatory changes, education, and mental health support is critical to fostering a fair and sustainable work environment.

Work Cited
Al Doghan, M. A., & Arshad, S. (2023). Cyberbullying and psychological stress among female employees. International Journal of Cyber Criminology, 17(1), 166–184. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4766610