CyberbullyingResearchSummary

CyberbullyingandStrain
SameerHinduja,Ph.D.andJustinW.Patchin,Ph.D.
CyberbullyingResearchCenter
deviant ways.6, 1012 With this in mind, it is hypothesized that some youth may engage in bullying behaviors (both traditional and nontraditional) as a response to strainful lifeeventsandthenegativeemotionsthattheyproduce.

chool bullying has long been a concern among parents, educators, and students alike. Accordingly, anyresearchershavefocusedasignificantamount m ofattentiononthistopicoverthepastthreedecades.Over the past decade, though, teens have begun to utilize technology as a tool to harass and mistreat their peers. Cyberbullying, it has been argued, can be even more detrimental to youth because: (1) bullies can be anonymous,(2)victimsareaccessible24/7,(3)itisoften easier to be cruel when corresponding electronically due to the physical distance, and (4) victims feel helpless in respondingthethreatsastheyperceiveadultsillequipped toassistthem.1 The current study uses a popular contemporary criminological theorygeneral strain theory (GST)to contribute to what is known about the factors associated withbothtraditionalandnontraditional(electronic)forms of bullying. GST argues that individuals who experience strain,andasaresultofthatstrainfeelangryorfrustrated, aremoreatrisktoengageincriminalordeviantbehavior.2 Assuch,theprimaryquestionexaminedhereisAreyouth whoexperiencestrainmorelikelytoengageinbullying? Althoughafewpreviousstudieshaveexaminedbullyingas asourceofstrain,3,4nostudyhasyetexaminedbullyingas a potential outcome of strain. Nevertheless, there is good reason to explore this relationship. According to Agnew,5:109experiencingstrainmakesusfeelbad;thatis, itmakesusfeelangry,frustrated,depressed,anxious,and thelike.Thesebadfeelingscreatepressureforcorrective action;wewanttodosomethingsothatwewillnotfeelso bad. Clearly, bullying otherswhether in person or onlineisonesuchcorrectiveactionstrainedyouthmight adopt. Second,GSTispurportedtobeoneofaselectfewgeneral theories of crime capable of explaining a wide variety of deviant behaviors (which would include bullying). Moreover, bullying itself has been linked to broader delinquent outcomes of the type morecommonly studied bycriminologists.Forexample,teenswhobullyothersare fourtimesmorelikelytoappearincourtondelinquency relatedchargesthantheirnonbullyingcounterparts.1 Moreover, bullying is associated with other forms of antisocialbehaviorsuchasvandalism,shoplifting,truancy, droppingoutofschool,fighting,anddruguse,69aswellas negative emotions which are sometimes resolved in

Results

In our research involving approximately 2,000 randomly selected middleschoolers from one of the largest school districts in the United States, a meaningful number of adolescents reported participating in bullying behaviors. ThemostfrequentlycitedtypeofbullyingreportedwasI calledanotherstudentmeannames,madefunoforteased himorherinahurtfulway(27.7%).Inall,morethanone third(34.1%)ofstudentsreportedengagingintraditional bullying two or more times during the previous 30 days. Cyberbullying was also relatively common among these middleschoolers.Morethan21%ofrespondentsreported cyberbullying others two or more times during the previous 30 days, with I posted something online about another person to make others laugh being the most frequentlyreportedform(22.8%).

HighlightsfromtheResearch:
Youth who are angry or frustrated are significantlymorelikelytobullyorcyberbully others Youthwhoexperiencestrainaresignificantly morelikelytobullyorcyberbullyothers Youth need ways to cope with stress stemmingfrompeerconflictinapositiveand healthymanner.

Next, the relationship between strain and traditional and nontraditionalformsofbullyingwasanalyzed.Bothstrain and anger/frustration were significantly related to traditionalbullying,evenaftercontrollingfortheeffectsof gender, race, and age. That is, youth who experienced strain or anger and frustration were more likely to bully others than those who had not experienced strain or anger/frustration.Similarly,youthwhoreportedstrainor anger/frustration were more likely to participate in cyberbullying.

CyberbullyingResearchSummary
GSTarguesthatindividualswhoexperiencestrainandits resultant negative emotions are at risk to engage in deviantbehaviorsuchasbullyingandcyberbullying.Like many previous studies, the current work found partial supportforthetheorysexplanatoryrelevance. Results from the current study point to several recommendations. To preempt youth from attempting to reconcilestrainfulcircumstancesandnegativeemotionsin an unconstructive or deviant manner, schools should providehealtheducationprogrammingandemotionalself management skills to reduce the likelihood of significant strain resulting from interpersonal strife and conflict (includingthoseoccurringonline). Also, research has shown that adolescents between ages 11 and 15 increasingly cope with strain in maladaptive ways,suchasresignation,avoidance,andhostility.13, 14As such, youthserving adults must make available positive outlets to provide youth with a way to disengage from what weighs them down. This might include physical or mental extracurricular activities that occupy students time and help them find satisfaction and selfworth in exploringpersonalinterests.15,16 Interpersonal aggression remains a significant issue as youthnavigatethedifficultwatersoftheirformativeyears. If strain or negative emotions independently exacerbate the problem among this population, these findings illu minate at least two specific areas that demand attention and focused response by individuals and organizations lookingtoidentifycontributingfactors.Assuch,itishoped that the current research can help shape policy and practice as youthserving adults work to reduce the incidence, intensity, and impact of bullyingboth offline andonline.
Note: This Fact Sheet is an abbreviated version of a fulllength journal article entitled Traditional and nontraditional bullying among youth: A test of General Strain Theory which is forthcominginYouth&Society. Suggestedcitation: Patchin, J. W. & Hinduja, S. (forthcoming). Traditional and nontraditional bullying among youth: A test of General Strain Theory.Youth&Society.

Discussion

Notes

1.HindujaS,PatchinJW.BullyingBeyondtheSchoolyard:Preventingand RespondingtoCyberbullying.ThousandOaks,CA:SagePublications (CorwinPress);2009. 2.AgnewR.FoundationforaGeneralStrainTheoryofCrimeand Delinquency.Criminology.FEB1992;30(1):4787. 3.HindujaS,PatchinJW.OfflineConsequencesofOnlineVictimization: SchoolViolenceandDelinquency.JournalofSchoolViolence. 2007;6(3):89112. 4.WallaceLH,PatchinJW,MayJD.ReactionsofVictimizedYouth:Strain asanExplanationofSchoolDelinquency.WesternCriminologyReview. 2005;6(1):104116. 5.AgnewR.StrainTheoryandSchoolCrime.In:SimpsonS,ed.OfCrime andCriminality.ThousandOaks,CA:PineForgePress;2000. 6.EricsonN.Addressingtheproblemofjuvenilebullying.U.S.Department ofJustice,OfficeofJusticePrograms,OfficeofJuvenileJusticeand DelinquencyPrevention.Washington,DC:U.S.GovernmentPrinting Office.2001. 7.LoeberR,&Disheon,T.J.Earlypredictorsofmaledelinquency:A review.PsychologicalBulletin.1984;94:6899. 8.MagnussonD,StattenH,DunerA.Aggressionandcriminalityina longitudinalperspective.In:DusenKTV,MednickSA,eds.Prospective studiesofcrimeanddelinquency.Netherlands:KluwerNijoff;1983:277 301. 9.OlweusD.Norway.In:SmithPK,MoritaY,JungerTasJ,OlweusD, CatalanoR,SleeP,eds.NatureofSchoolBullying:ACrossNational Perspective.London:Routledge;1999. 10.BorgMG.Theemotionalreactionofschoolbulliesandtheirvictims. EducationalPsychology.1998;18(4):433444. 11.RigbyK.Consequencesofbullyinginschools.CanadianJournalof Psychiatry.2003;48:583590. 12.RolandE.Bullying,depressivesymptomsandsuicidalthoughts. EducationalResearch.2002;44:5567. 13.HampelP,PetermannF.Ageandgendereffectsoncopinginchildren andadolescents.JournalofYouthandAdolescence.2005;34:7383. 14.CompasBE,OrosanPG,GrantKE.Adolescentstressandcoping: Implicationsforpsychopathologyduringadolescence.Journalof Adolescence.1993;16:331349. 15.FrydenbergE,LewisR.Boysplaysportandgirlsturntoothers:Age, genderandethnicityasdeterminantsofcoping.JournalofAdolescence. 1993;16:253266.

16.MillerS,McCormickJ.Stress:Teachingchildrentocope.Journalof physicaleducation,recreation,anddance.1991;62(2):5370. Sameer Hinduja, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at Florida Atlantic University and Justin W. Patchin, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at the UniversityofWisconsinEauClaire.Together,theylectureacrosstheUnitedStatesonthecausesandconsequencesofcyberbullyingandoffer comprehensiveworkshopsforparents,teachers,counselors,mentalhealthprofessionals,lawenforcement,youthandothersconcernedwith addressingandpreventingonlineaggression.

CyberbullyingResearchCenter TheCyberbullyingResearchCenterisdedicatedtoprovidinguptodateinformationaboutthenature,extent,causes,andconsequencesofcyberbullyingamong www.cyberbullying.us adolescents.Formoreinformation,visithttp://www.cyberbullying.us.2010CyberbullyingResearchCenterSameerHindujaandJustinW.Patchin