Cyberbullying and Academic Achievement: Research Into the Knowledge of Consequences and Cyberbullying Behavioral Patterns

• In Event: Affective Issues for Gifted Students: Motivation, Attitude, and Sources of Stress

Abstract

Cyberbullying takes place through the information technology that students access every day: cell phones, text messages, email, Internet messaging, and social networks. With the world paying more attention to this form of bullying, scholars have been researching the topic in an attempt to learn more. However, there are few research studies directly examining the relationship between academic achievement and cyberbullying. Data collected from a questionnaire provided to 847 middle school students in the Northeast revealed that higher-achieving students were no more likely to understand the risks involved with using the Internet than students who earned lower grades. Students who had self-reported participation in a gifted program and students who did not were equally likely to have involvement in cyberbullying.

Authors

• Melissa S. Mitchell, RSU #24

• Del L. Siegle, University of Connecticut