Article Review 1
Cyberbullying on Social Media: Definitions, Prevalence, and Impact Challenges
Samuel Ayala – Sanchez
February 20, 2025
Introduction
The article Cyberbullying on Social Media: Definitions, Prevalence, and Impact Challenges by Ray, McDermott, and Nicho (2024) takes the current research on the topic that is cyberbullying, and focuses on what exactly cyberbullying means, its presence in society, and the psychological and social effects that it has people. The study does so by taking the different findings of about 71 different peer-reviewed papers, that were all published between the years 2007 and 2022, and compiling them to give an overall better understanding of how exactly cyberbullying shows up on the different social media platforms we have today and what it can do.
Relation to Social Science Principles
Cyberbullying is a pretty important topic within the social sciences, especially these days, because it explores the different ways people can interact in online spaces and what consequences that come from those interactions have on society in its entirety. The article then expresses this by connecting it with different social science principles and addressing the different behaviors that can or may contribute to cyberbullying and the social dynamics that were influential to these actions taking place in the first place. It also shows how online behaviors can be a reflection of a deeper psychological issue like narcissism, psychopathy, and manipulative tendencies, which are all key ideas in social psychology itself, not just in relation to cyberbullying. It also shows how understanding these different behaviors can help us to be able to create policies and interventions to reduce the different harmful effects that cyberbullying has on all of those affected by it in our society.
Research Questions and Hypotheses
The primary research questions that the authors try to explore are: How exactly is cyberbullying defined in current research? And what factors contribute to cyberbullying taking place, and how can these be measured for their contribution? I was, however, unable to find where the study explicitly states its hypotheses but I can say that it aims to explain the inconsistencies with how cyberbullying is defined across a multitude of studies and to identify factors, such as personality traits, that can contribute to cyberbullying behavior taking place in someone. These questions help in addressing the challenges of finding a universal definition and a way to measure cyberbullying in future research papers.
Research Methods
The authors conducted what is called a systematic review, which is analyzing already existing studies on a topic then bringing them together to summarize their findings. They followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to make sure that there is transparency and consistency in what they are selecting and evaluating for what is relevant research for their study. This method lets them take a pretty wide range of studies, then figure out what each one found, and proceed to put them all together for a clearer understanding of what cyberbullying really is.
Data and Analysis
The data analyzed in this article came from 71 peer-reviewed articles that were published between the years 2007 and 2022 then compiled into one, by the authors. They made sure to focus on finding the patterns of how cyberbullying is actually defined, how often it happens to people, and how it affects different groups in society. They then found out that people with certain personality traits, like narcissism and psychopathy, were linked with having a higher chance of becoming cyberbullies. In addition to that, they reviewed different studies on the social and psychological effects that cyberbullying has, impacts mental health and self-esteem in different individuals.
Challenges, Concerns, and Contributions Regarding Marginalized Groups
A concern raised in the study is that there is a lack of research on the experiences of minority groups/people, especially those from adults and people from disadvantaged backgrounds. This can be summed up from the fact that most existing studies on cyberbullying focuses on teenagers and children, even though that leaves a significant gap in understanding how adults, especially those in minority communities, experience and are affected by cyberbullying. This is important because the challenges that are faced by these groups shouldn’t be expected to align with those of teenagers due to the differing background/possibility that they have different views from their backgrounds, and policies may not be as effective if they don’t consider these unique experiences that can come from these groups.
Contributions to Society
The study contributes to society by proposing a universal definition of cyberbullying, which can help lead to a more consistent and accurate research in the future of the subject. In addition to that, the identification of personality traits that are associated with cyberbullying behaviors offers useful insights into how to target interventions for at-risk individuals. On top of that, the push for more research on adult populations that includes marginalized groups, encourages the need for more/better policies and solutions that can be sure to protect all kinds of people from the harmful effects that cyberbullying has, no matter the age or background of the victim.
Conclusion
Ray, McDermott, and Nicho’s systematic review showcases the importance of having a universal definition of cyberbullying and why including marginalized groups in future research can aid in the development of more effective policy and/or interventions that can help in solving the problem that is cyberbullying. Their work also helps contribute to any future studies and policy development that aims to create a safer and more inclusive online environment for people of all ages and coming from all kinds of backgrounds.
References
Ray, T., McDermott, R., & Nicho, A. (2024). Cyberbullying on Social Media: Definitions, Prevalence, and Impact Challenges. Journal of Cybersecurity. https://academic.oup.com/cybersecurity/article/10/1/tyae026/7928395?searchresult=1
Article Review 2
Article Review #2: Digital Human Rights in Jordanian Legislation and International Agreement
Samuel Ayala-Sanchez
April 9, 2025
BLUF: The article examines the different legislations in Jordan and compares them to international legislation, then goes on to suggest where change can be made to make up for weaknesses and how this would be an ongoing act to address ever evolving digital freedom’s and privacy standards.
Introduction
The article “Digital Human Rights in Jordanian Legislation and International Agreement” by Fahad Yousef Al-Kasassbeh, Sadam Mohammad Awaisheh, Mohammad Atef Odeibat, Salah Mohammad Aboudi Awaesheh, Lanal Al-Khalaileh, and Manal Al-Braizat examines the legal framework that surrounds digital human rights in Jordan. It looks at the alignment of Jordanian laws in collaboration with international agreements and then goes on to evaluate whether these regulations are effective in safeguarding the various digital rights. My review analyzes the study’s main research questions, the methods used in the study, analysis of the found data, and its relevance to overall social sciences, marginalized groups, and finally its contributions to society.
Relation to Social Sciences Principles
To understand its relation to social sciences, you’ll first have to understand what social sciences are and what they are used for, which is to explore and find explanations for: human behavior, institutions, and societal structures. The article makes its contributions to this by trying to find out how certain legislation is able to impact digital human rights, which is becoming an increasingly important element of modern-day governance. The article also aligns with certain topics that fall under political science, law, and sociology through its addressing of different government policies, human rights protections, and the way that society reacts to digital regulations.
Research Questions or Hypotheses
The study mainly investigates whether or not Jordanian digital rights laws align with the overall international human rights agreements. It also goes on to explore whether these laws are properly able to protect an individuals’ rights when they are online and if they can comply/adapt with ever-evolving digital freedoms and privacy standards.
Research Methods Used
The authors mainly use a qualitative research approach that primarily focuses on legal analysis. They do this by reviewing Jordanian legislation, then comparing it to international treaties, and finally assessing legal precedents. This helps to evaluate how national laws are able to align with broader human rights frameworks.
Data and Analysis
The study mainly relies on textual analysis of Jordanian laws, different international agreements, and legal cases for data due to the subject being focused on how these all work together and build on whether or not they’re effective. The authors then interpret these texts to determine if Jordan’s regulations are able to uphold human rights in a digital sense. The analysis then highlights the gaps that exist in legal protections and goes further by suggesting areas for improvements in the legislation and by adding that it is the government’s responsibility to protect these rights by possibly enacting a system to regularly address societal concerns and adapt legislation impartially. They do, however, point out the different challenges that are faced in the legislative, strategic, and technical domains.
Connection to Course Concepts
Concepts from the PowerPoint presentations like digital privacy, surveillance, and cyber law, are able to directly relate to this article due to its discussion on whether international agreements can align with the broader debates of global digital governance and what the ethical implications of these cybersecurity policies can bring about in society as a whole.
Impact on Marginalized Groups
The study plays into marginalized communities with incredible relevance due to digital rights disproportionately affecting certain vulnerable populations. This is caused by the restrictions on online speech, privacy breaches, and government surveillance that can limit a marginalized groups’ ability to advocate for their rights, access important and relevant information, and to freely participate in digital spaces of discussion.
Contributions to Society
The research contributes to the progression of society by identifying the strengths and weaknesses in Jordan’s digital rights framework and then providing recommendations for policy improvements that advocate for stronger legal protections and better alignment with other international human rights standards. Then, by highlighting these gaps in digital legislation, the study is capable of sparking up more discussions on privacy, free expression, and cybersecurity at the national and global levels.
Conclusion
The article “Digital Human Rights in Jordanian Legislation and International Agreement” provides a thorough and insightful analysis of Jordan’s digital rights framework. This is done through examining different legal texts, then comparing international standards to be able to offer possible avenues for improvement. All while addressing the implications for marginalized communities and enhancing the understanding of digital human rights as a whole. Its findings then go on to emphasize the need for ongoing and ever adapting legal reforms to be able to efficiently and effectively safeguard digital freedoms.
References
Al-Kasassbeh, F. Y., Awaisheh, S. M., Odeibat, M. A., Awaesheh, S. M. A., Al-Khalaileh, L., & Al-Braizat, M. (Year). Digital Human Rights in Jordanian Legislation and International Agreement. International Journal of Cyber Criminology. Retrieved from https://www.cybercrimejournal.com/