1. CYBER BULLYING
An investigation of factors which influence adolescents’ vulnerability to being
cyber bullied and becoming cyber bullies?
By Courtney Cole
CM6004
Criminology
Kingston University
London
2016

2. INTRODUCTION
Bullying is described as an aggressive behaviour which is perpetrated against a ‘victim’, it is ‘a form of abuse that
is based on an imbalance of power’, (Smith & Sharp, 1994; Rigby, 2002; cited in Slonje and Smith, 2008. p.147).
Over the years bullying has transformed from traditional playground bullying into a ‘New form’ known as Cyber
bullying. Cyber bullying has been identified as, bullying through the means of electronic devices, and an
aggressive act carried out by an individual or group through electronic forms of contact.
A systematic explanation for the motives as to why adolescents cyber bully and become victims of cyber bullying
has not yet been examined, and was the reason it was introduced in my dissertation. The focus was aimed on the
different types of motives which make adolescents vulnerable of becoming cyber bullies and becoming victims of
cyber bullying.
• The awareness of cyber bullying has emerged in the United Kingdom in 2001
Nokia- 2000-2001 Sony Ericsson- 2005 Blackberry Bold- 2010 IPhone 6s- 2015

3. LITERATURE
My dissertation was examining the reasons why adolescents are vulnerable to being cyber bullied and
becoming cyber bullies. It suggested why they are more prone to cyber bullying than others and
explains in depth what the key motives are, as well as explaining how and why adolescents get
victimised.
Sub Categories:
• History:
‘Traditional bullying take three forms, ‘physical, verbal and relational’, (Wang, Nansel, and Iannotti, 2011, p417).
• Awareness:
‘Use computers outside the purview of parents, teachers or other adults and therefore participate online without much (if
any) supervision or specific guidance’, (Patchin and Hinduja, 2010, p615).
• Age:
‘When identity development is particularly important’ (Patchin and Hinduja, 2010, p615).
• Gender:
‘Girls who are less often traditional bullies seem to draw level with or even outrun boys in cyberbullying’, (Pabian and
Vandebosch, 2016, p147).
• Impacts and Problems:
‘Feelings of sadness, anxiety and fear’, (Mishna, Saini & Solomon, 2009, p1223).
• Motives:
‘It seems much easier to be cruel and malicious through a text message, e-mail, posted photo or video, or another form
of digital harassment because of the physical distance separating the offender and the victim when engaging in
electronic communications’, (Patchin and Hinduja, 2010, p615).

4. DISCUSSION
The focus of this part of my dissertation was to sum up all the motives which influence adolescents
vulnerability to cyber bully and to be cyber bullied.
Current research discusses these categories as motives which explain adolescents vulnerability to cyber
bully others:
Entertainment and
Boredom.
Revenge Social Status and Power

5. Discussion Continued…
 Research has continually mentioned the
use of anonymity within cyber bullying,
however has not pin pointed it as a key
motive.
 This lead to a gap within research and
has been the main focus of my
dissertation.
 It is a great disguise for adolescents
and gives them confidence to cyber
bully others.
 It also becomes extremely hard to catch
out the perpetrator and puts victims in
fear, as punishments are very slim.

6. ANONYMITY CONTINUED…
• Anonymity provides a disguise for adolescents, they become fearless and confident.
• It gives them confidence and creates opportunities for adolescents to cyber bully.
• Those who were victims of traditional bullying often become cyber bullies- to get revenge on
someone who affected them previously in their life, ‘because they picked on me at school’, (Konig,
Gollwitzer & Steffgen, 2010, p211).
• Victims become scared and isolated because they do not know who their perpetrator/perpetrators
are.
• Cyber bullying takes place away from parents or guidance supervision, which makes it really hard
to catch the perpetrator as well as being able to punish them and stop the bullying which is taking
place.
• Cyber bullies gain a sense of power, control and a high social status when bullying others, where as
victims of cyber bullying become isolated, depressed, fearful and anxious.

7. All the motive points made in research are conclusive to this study and were elaborated throughout my
dissertation, but anonymity was not contributed at a main motive. But has been explained through my
dissertation that anonymity puts adolescents in vulnerable situations to become cyber bullies and to be
cyber bullied.
• Majority of adolescents would not contribute to the cyber bullying world, if it wasn’t for the use of
anonymity.
• Most adolescents would not gain the confidence to cyber bully openly.
• Cyber bullying is more common than traditional bullying, due to the anonymous disguise, which gives
adolescents confidence and makes them fearless.
Unfortunately cyber bullying just like traditional bullying can not be fully erased, the difference is
traditional bullying has more of a chance of being stopped than cyber bullying.
As technology grows, so will electronic devices and so does cyber bullying.
As along as there is the opportunity for adolescents to act anonymously through the means of electronic
devices and the internet, then cyber bullying will continue to grow.
NO ANONYMITY- NO CYBER BULLYING:
If there is no anonymous use involved with electronic equipment then cyber bullying will decrease, it may
still take place among adolescents, but the chances of perpetrators getting caught and punished will
increase and will lower the huge cases of cyber bullying.
NO ANONYMITY- NO VULNERABLE ADOLESCENTS
CONCLUSION

8. CONCLUSION CONTINUED…
• Cyber bullying has only emerged since the early 2000’s and is classed as a new form of bullying, which is currently still undermined
in research.
• It has been noted that cyberbullying encounters more damage than traditional bullying, because of the internet’s extensive use
and anyone can cyber bully due to its anonymity
• The bullying has moved from the playground to the internet and from face to face contact to the use of electronic devices.
• Adolescents are very familiar with technologies electronic equipment and know how to use the internet vastly, this has explained
another reason to why they are likely to be victimized and become cyber bullies.
• Victims feel trapped and are unable to escape the bullying which they receive, as it follows them home and they can feel
surrounded.
• Adolescents have a lot of access to electronic devices and therefore are more than likely to engage in cyber bullying.
• Adolescents engage in a lot of social activity online, such as social media websites, where they can post opinionated statues and
upload photographs. This provides opportunities for adolescents to cyber bully.
• All the motives which have been mentioned during this study link back to the medium anonymity and therefore identifies that the
reason adolescents cyber bully, is because of the internet’s anonymous use.
• Unlike traditional bullying, the impact on victims in unseen because there is no face to face contact, and may be another reason to
why adolescents continue to bully
• Because of the use of anonymity, most of the victims will not know who their perpetrator is and therefore will not be able to
confront them, tell someone else about it, or resolve the problem.
• There will need to be further research on this expanding topic, as technology will keep growing and research will have to keep
developing, to get a better understanding of the topic cyber bullying.

9. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to express my deepest appreciation to my mother who has shown
volumes of support throughout my years at Kingston University and throughout my
dissertation studies. She is my biggest inspiration.
I am grateful to my Boyfriend, sisters and father who have supported me, and have
encouraged me to work harder, as well as keeping my focused when I have felt
distracted.
I would like to thank all the Criminology and Faculty staff who have supported me
throughout my years at Kingston University. You have all been so helpful and have
persistently been supportive.

10. REFERENCES
• Slonje, R. & Smith, P.K. (2008). Cyberbullying: Another main type of bullying? Scandinavian Journal
of Psychology. 49 (2), 147-154.
• Slonje, R. Smith, P.K. & Frisen, A. (2013). The Nature of Cyberbullying and Strategies for Prevention.
Computers in Human Behaviour. 29 (1), 26-32.
• Wang, J. Nansel, T.R. and Iannotti, R.J. (2011), Cyber and traditional bullying: differential association
with depression. J Adolesc Health. 48 (4), 415-417
• Pabian', S. & Vandebosch', S. (2016). Developmental Trajectories of (Cyber) Bullying perpetration
and Social Intelligence during Early Adolescence. Journal of Early Adolescents. 36 (2), 145-170.
• Patchin, J. W. & Hinduja, S. (2010). Cyberbullying and Self-Esteem. Journal of School Health. 80
(12), 614-621.
• Mishna, F. Saini, M. & Solomon, S. (2009). Ongoing and Online: Children and Youth’s Perceptions of
Cyber Bullying. Children and Youth Services Review. 31 (12), 1222-1228.
• Konig, A. Gollwitzer, M. & Steffgen, G. (2010). Cyber Bullying as an Act of Revenge. Australian
Journal of Guidance and Counselling. 20 (2), 210-224.