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Exploring factors influencing cyberbullying in secondary schools
Author
Teo, Esther Shu Hsien
Supervisor
Khoo, Angeline
Abstract
Cyberbullying is a new phenomenon that is receiving increasingly more attention from educators, counsellors and the public, given that information technology is an integral part of the life of children and youths in Singapore. This study explored the factors that influenced the attitudes towards cyberbullying and the frequency of cyberbullying among secondary school students. Data was gathered from 520 students aged 12 to 19 years (M = 13.59, SD = 1.36); 51.2% of the students were females. The study utilized a 138-item questionnaire to examine how aggression (physical aggression, verbal aggression, anger and hostility), personal strengths (emotional awareness, self-control, problem-solving, goal-setting, empathy, social acceptance and parent-child relationship), victimization and individual factors (age, gender and amount of time spent online) influence cyberbullying tendencies. Findings showed that aggression was significantly correlated to both cyberbullying frequency and attitudes towards cyberbullying; younger students and male students had also cyberbullied significantly more than older students and female students in the higher aggression groups respectively. Victimization was also significantly correlated to both cyberbullying frequency and attitudes towards cyberbullying. Results also indicated that emotional awareness, self-control, problem-solving, goal-setting, social acceptance and parent-child relationship was negatively correlated with attitudes towards cyberbullying. However, only self-control and parent-child relationship was negatively correlated with cyberbullying tendencies. The results suggest that parents need to improve their relationship with their children and teach them self-control and skills to deal with conflicts with others rather than act aggressively at others through cyberbullying.
Date Issued
2010
Call Number
LB3013.34.S55 Teo
Date Submitted
2010