Mapping Cyberbullying: Unveiling the Dynamics of Harassment Networks on Twitter through Social Network Analysis

• In Event: Mapping Surface & Dark Web Networks

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to identify cyberbullying networks on X(Twitter), and also explore the key characteristics and dynamics of cyberbullying networks trough social network analysis. The central research question is: "How do cyberbullying campaigns propagate within Twitter's social network, and what are the characteristics of these networks in terms of actors' influence, network structure, and content dissemination patterns?" To answer this question, I employed social network analysis (SNA) techniques to map and analyze the interactions between users involved in or affected by cyberbullying. Specifically, I collected data using Twitter's API, focusing on tweets that contain identified cyberbullying keywords and hashtags, along with their associated retweets, mentions, and replies. Centrality measures such as degree, betweenness, and closeness centrality will be calculated to identify influential nodes within the network. This comprehensive approach will not only elucidate the structure and dynamics of cyberbullying on Twitter but also contribute to developing targeted interventions to mitigate the effects of cyberbullying and support affected individuals.

Author

• Hamdi Yesilyurt, Southern Illinois University Carbondale