| Being a teenager is not easy, but most of us live through it. Cyberbullying suicide victims will not have this luxury. Advancements in and access to social technologies (social networking sites, instant messaging systems, cell phone texting) are rewriting interaction patterns as they provide a majority of our nation's students with 24-hour-a-day, 7-day-a-week access to their friends. While social technology can provide access to supportive peer networks, it can also be used as a tool for cyberbullying where unflattering pictures, rumors, and messages picking on others are frequently posted.;The purpose of this explanatory mixed methods study was to examine social technology cyberbullying among middle and high school students. Secondary analysis of the 2009 Youth Risk Behavior Survey (n=3403) provided data regarding risky behaviors (use of drugs, alcohol, and cigarettes), school safety (physical fights on school grounds, bringing weapons to school), cyberbullying victimization, and cyberbullying perpetration. Qualitative data (n=29) was collected through focus groups, open-ended questionnaires, and interviews conducted at schools in the survey area. This data provided in depth details about the antecedents, participants, victims, and consequences of cyberbullying, thereby informing findings from the quantitative data.;While recent media coverage has provided general public awareness of cyberbullying, few empirical cyberbullying studies have been conducted. This study contributes to current research deficits that exist in the education, criminal justice, communication, and public health fields. Findings from this study indicate that just over 11% of those surveyed found themselves to be victims of cyberbullying over the past year, while just over 7% identified themselves as perpetrating a cyberbullying act over the past few months. Further statistical analysis revealed a number of co-existing variables with cyberbullying activity. These co-existing variables included: smoking cigarettes, drinking alcohol, using illegal drugs, fighting, bringing weapons to school, and the prevalence of violence. Student participants reported a carryover between environments (school and after school via social technology) that create a constant access to peers and a reciprocal relationship between cyberbullying perpetrators and victims (victims become perpetrators in retaliation). Using information gathered from students and school staff during focus groups, prevention strategies and intervention approaches are also proposed. |
