Realm of cyber abuse: Cyberbullying and suicidality among teenagers

Abstract

This research study investigated the prevalence and the extent of cyberbullying and suicidality among teenagers in selected schools in Baguio City. In this modern digital generation, the abuse of information and communication technologies has been an issue besetting the youth today. Knowledge of these contemporary challenges could raise public awareness among various school communities, community leaders, school administrators, parents and teenagers regarding cyberbullying and suicidality among teenagers. This research aimed to determine the relationship between cyberbullying and suicidality among teenagers in selected schools in Baguio City. Specifically, it sought to answer the following questions with its corresponding hypothesis: 1. What is cyberbullying as experienced by teenagers in terms of; a. forms; b. modalities; and c. perpetrators? 2. What is the extent of cyberbullying victimization as experienced by teenagers? 3. What is the level of suicidality among cyberbullied teenagers? 4. What is the relationship between cyberbullying and suicidality among cyberbullied teenagers Hypothesis: There is a significant positive correlation between cyberbullying and suicidality among cyberbullied teenagers. 5. What are the coping behaviors of teenagers who experienced cyberbullying? The data were gathered from secondary high school students in selected schools in Baguio City through survey method and were treated using weighted mean, percentage and Pearson moment correlation through SPSS. To validate and corroborate the data gathered, focused-group discussion (FGD) with some of the respondents was conducted. Based on the interpretation and analysis of the data, the researcher developed an action plan as a contribution for the continuous prevention of cyberbullying incidence among in-school teenagers. The following are the findings of this research: 1. Overall, teenagers claimed to have experienced cyberbullying in different modalities. They perceived that they were cyberbullied mostly in Facebook. Though cyberbullying poses an emerging issue among teenagers, it is not oftenly accounted at all times as shown by the data regarding the extent of their cybervictimization. 2. Cyberbullying experiences did not guarantee a greater impact or level of cybervictimization among those who were cyberbullied. Flaming usually happened among in-school teenagers. Statistically, from the total population (f=388) of this study, 382 (21%) in-school teenagers have experienced flaming, 325 (18%) in-school teenagers have experienced harassment, 279 (15%) in-school teenagers have experienced denigration and outing, 122 (7%) in-school teenagers have experienced impersonation, 244 (13%) in-school teenagers have experienced social exclusion, 228 (13%) in-school teenagers have experienced cyberstalking, 242 (13%) in-school teenagers have experienced cyberthreats. 3. In-school, teenagers did not have the tendency to carry out actions which are self-injurious in nature. This implies their ability to have hopefulness attitude and confidence. 4. The extent of cybervictimization is not a causative factor to suicidality among in-school teenagers, contrary to the belief that adolescents who are mostly prone to cyberbullying victimization tend to have suicidal thoughts and actions as claimed by other researchers and the media. 5. Respondents utilized practical or realistic coping strategies though some of them at times, ignored and blocked these cyberbullies. The result did not imply whether cyberbullied teenagers cope positively or negatively. Based on the findings, the following are the conclusions of this study: 1. Cyberbullying happens more than once among in-school teenagers in Facebook. The cause of cyberbullying starts with heated expressions and exchanged of vulgar words, offensive and insulting messages from unknown cyberbullies. Hence, there is likelihood that victims have the ability to gain control over the situation and the bully by fighting back. 2. Cyberbullying victimization is not greatly observed and is least experienced by in-school teenagers. Hence, cyberbullying is not a predisposing issue among teenagers at this time. 3. In-school teenagers did not have the tendency to carry out actions which are self-injurious in nature. This implies their ability to have hopefulness attitude and confidence. 4. Cyberbullying victimization experiences do not lead one to have suicidal judgment, beliefs and suicidal actions which will eventually lead to complete suicide. 5. Some in-school teenagers who claimed to be cyberbullied were able to handle their situation since most of them found helpful ways on how to prevent the bullying using information and communication technologies. Based on the findings, the following are recommended: 1. Seminars and trainings be given to parents, students and other school stakeholders regarding Facebook features and on how to set up the privacy setting of one's account in order to prevent the incidence of cyberbullying. Facebook Community standards and policies have to be followed firmly. 2. It is suggested that home-school partnership has to be continuously supported. In this way, parents, teachers and school administrators will continue to plan, assess and evaluate programs for the best interest of in-school adolescents in terms of their academic, skills and social development. 3. For community leaders, they have to adopt programs and policies that could address cyberbullying in computer shops, inside or outside the school and in the community. Parents and other constituents in the community have to be active in facilitating and implementing barangay programs for the cyber-wellness of youths. This is to continuously monitor their psychological safety in the community and at the same time it will strengthen their discipline and morale when using electronic forms of communication. 4. Guidance counselors, other practitioners and school administrators continue anti-bullying campaign in their guidance program in order to create a friendly and pleasant learning environment. They should also provide rules and procedures in handling bullying incidents in school. Further, these policies shall include disciplinary measures and preventive action plans in order to address offensive bullying behaviors. 5. Educators in each grade and year level strengthen prevention of bullying by providing anti-cyberbullying modules and activities into the curriculum so that the culture of honesty, respect, acceptance and open-mindedness be enhanced among among in-school teenagers. Anti-bullying month may perhaps be part of the school's student development programs and guidance program in coordination with the Parent-Teacher's Association. 6. For school administrators, with the leadership of the school Principal and in coordination with the Guidance Counselors, staff, Parents and Teachers Association; social support group has to be organized and established as Child Protection Committee in the school to plan, implement and evaluate the guidelines and policies that prevent bullying to be included and elucidated in the Student Handbook or Manual. Discipline Committee is also suggested for the appropriate intervention for students who committed uncompromising bullying behavior. 7. The Department of Education (DepEd) actively and continuously support school anti-bullying programs in order to stop cyberbullying incidents among in-school teenagers by continuously launching awareness campaign regarding the "Anti-bullying Act of 2013 (Republic Act 10627)", an act requiring all elementary and secondary schools to adopt policies to prevent and address the acts of bullying in one's institutions and by raising public awareness on the existing implementing rules and regulations especially to various schools, parents and community constituents. 8. With reference to Republic Act 10627 (R.A. 10627); the respondents' school or even other public or private schools have to implement the requirements of the said law. Thus, preventive programs, supportive actions and disciplinary policies or interventions are suggested in order to ensure the physical, emotional and psychological safety of learners in the school and other involved school stakeholders. In addition to that, these requirements shall serve as a righteous guide to all stakeholders and as a direction towards encouraging learning environment and productive learning. 9. To further investigate the incidence of cyberbullying, future researchers shall replicate these findings in bigger population and diversed demographics. Future researchers can also investigate teenagers from within Baguio City schools or outside Baguio City in order to compare if they yield the same results. Variables such as age, sex, type of school and ethnicity could moderate such future investigations on this issue. Hence, results of shared researches could be used so as to procure continuous cyber-protective measures for in-school teenagers with the use of advanced information and computer technology programs where experts on the field facilitate and construct such software programs. 10. Future researchers may utilize purely qualitative design such as case study approaches and experimental method (treatment group) or any forms of design or method in order to examine in-detail and in an in-depth and intensive manner the different forms of cyberbullying so as to come up with a variety of theories. For instance, future investigators can also compare if the degree of traditional bullying experiences influences the likelihood of teenagers to practice bullying in the cyberspace. For those reasons, qualitative results shall strongly support the existing research findings and conclusions of this study.