Cyberbullying: Can Laboratory Research Contribute to Our Knowledge in This Field?

• In Event: Roundtable Session 84
  In Roundtable Session: Negotiating Adolescent Development

Abstract

Between 20-40 % of youths are involved in cyberbullying, bullying via the internet or mobile phones. A plethora of studies has been published, primarily non-experimental field studies about prevalence, risk factors and consequences. However, several questions remain unanswered.
The current paper argues that complementary laboratory studies with experimental methods might be a valuable addition to cyberbullying research. Two exemplary studies are presented. Study I indicates that media and type of cyberbullying elicit different emotional responses and coping strategies. Study II indicates that power imbalance – operationalized as social status of the cyber-bully – is relevant to cyber-victims’ emotional response and coping.
Both studies show that laboratory research with experimental methods can significantly contribute to clarifying conceptual issues in cyberbullying research.

Authors

• Stephanie Pieschl, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster

• Torsten Porsch, University of Münster