Communication Commons^™

Children's Perceptions Of Cyberbullying, Julissa Bonilla

Media and Communication Studies Summer Fellows

This study analyzed children’s perceptions of cyberbullying in a focus group of six youths, ages 10-15. The primary goal of this research was to supplement and expand on previous cyberbullying research that focused heavily on surveys, but didn’t provide youths’ voices or perspectives (Lenhart, 2010; Wang et al., 2009). Specifically, participants were asked to share their definitions of cyberbullying, their opinions about its pervasiveness, and their thoughts about the connection between cyberbullying and self-disclosure. Findings show that children’s perceptions of cyberbullying are similar to those identified in previous, survey-based research. Participants noted the role of technology in facilitating regular bullying …