The article I selected is Cyberbullying: Its Social and Psychological Harms among Schoolers from the International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime. The article related to the social sciences through sociology, psychology, and criminology. Bullying is defined as unwanted aggressive behavior by young people against another. It causes distress and harm to the targeted youth. This behavior produces negative impact in areas like education and social communication. Applying the previous definition to cyberbullying, the area where it happens is confined to any device that can be used to send unwanted and unwarranted messages to the target.
The current study with the assumption that adult and peer support can reduce levels of social and psychological harm proposed 4 hypotheses:
• Hypothesis 1: Cyberbullying victims are less likely to experience social harm with adult
support.
• Hypothesis 2: Cyberbullying victims are less likely to experience social harm with peer
support.
• Hypothesis 3: Cyberbullying victims are less likely to experience psychological harm
with adult support.
• Hypothesis 4: Cyberbullying victims are less likely to experience psychological harm
with peer support.
The method used is survey data obtained from the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS) School Crime Supplement (SCS). This data is collected every year and used to determine how likely social harm will be if the student received adult and peer support. The demographics are controlled and divided into 3 groups: gender, ethnicity, and age. Data is analyzed using count models. The results that adult and peer support help more students to minimize or prevent social and psychological harm.
One term that applies to this article is relativism in terms of the relation between adult and peer
support minimizing the harm done to the victims. In terms of challenges for marginalized groups more females experience cyberbullying, more social harm, and psychological harm. One big concern is that the victims reported that many of the words used against them were also seen written in school. This topic shed light in an empirical way as to how many reported victims provided valuable information like hate words, mediums used and how gender and ethnicity play a factor. We must consider how many more did not feel comfortable sharing information. In a surprising result more white youth experience cyberbullying than any other ethnicity.
This study helps to point out the new aspects of bullying, mostly in an indirect way like social media and messaging devices, and how peer and adult support can help reduce physical, social, and psychological harm. These types of studies can help the creation of innovative programs targeting prevention and treatment of harm caused by cyberbullying.
Reference: Lim, H., & Lee, H. (2021). Cyberbullying: Its Social and Psychological
Harms Among Schoolers, International Journal of Cybersecurity Intelligence & Cybercrime,
4(1), 25-45. https://www.doi.org/ 10.52306/04010321KNSZ7360