The Effect of School Bullying Victimization on Cyber Delinquency: The Mediating Role of Social Isolation

• In Event: Poster Session II

Abstract

Cyber delinquency has emerged as a new phenomenon in the information age, and has been widespread among juveniles. Some argue that cyber delinquency cannot be taken seriously because it generally does not involve direct or physical harms. However, some types of cyber delinquency such as cyber bullying and cyber defamation can be a cause of catastrophic consequences, even suicide of the victims. Thus, juvenile cyber delinquency should not be overlooked.
According to Agnew (1985), who introduced the concept of victim-offender overlap, delinquency is understood as a result of negative stimulus such as harassment by family members, violence by peers (Agnew, 1985). In fact, a number of empirical studies have demonstrated that victims of school bullying are more likely to be delinquent (DeCamp & Newby, 2015). However, it is not clear whether this trend can be applied to delinquency in cyberspace. Based upon a series of preceding research on victim-offender overlap, the present study hypothesizes that the experience of school bullying victimization can lead to delinquent behaviors in cyberspace. Furthermore, it is possible that social isolation serves as a mediator between bullying victimization and cyber delinquency. The current study will test the relationship between the variables.

Author

• Myunghyun Choi, Southern Illinois University