Reference no: EM133686179

Assignment: Literature Review

Title: The Dark Side of social media: Understanding and Addressing the Complexities of Cyberbullying Among US Adolescents.

Research Problem: Online harassment and cyberbullying are prevalent issues affecting teenagers on social media platforms. However, there is a lack of understanding about the experiences of victims. It is crucial to understand the types of harassment, perpetrators, psychological effects, and response strategies. The ever-evolving nature of social media technology also needs to be examined. Addressing these gaps is essential for developing interventions, policies, and ethical guidelines to create a safer online environment for teenagers.

Talking about Cyberbullying(CB) has established links to physical and mental health problems including depression, suicidality, substance use, and somatic symptoms. Quality reporting of CB prevalence is essential to guide evidence-based policy and prevention priorities. The purpose of this systematic review was to investigate study quality and reported prevalence among CB research studies conducted in populations of US adolescents of middle and high school age.Cyberbullying, which was first brought to public attention by the tragic 2011 suicide of Rutgers student Tyler Clementi (Parker, Citation2012), is the use of electronic communication to intimidate or threaten another person. Given the sometimes-clandestine nature of cyberbullying, academics have found it challenging to investigate properly. Walker, Sockman, and Koehn (Citation2011) conducted a poll of undergraduates and discovered that most participants knew someone who had been cyberbullied. Respondents in this study identified numerous technologies as cyberbullying tools, with social media sites being among the most frequently mentioned.

Bullying is now widely acknowledged as a significant issue that has gained attention over the years due to various heartbreaking stories of teenagers experiencing a range of negative effects. This realization highlights the importance of tackling the problem promptly and with collective action. Identifying overt physical aggression in bullying is usually straightforward, but recognizing and addressing the more subtle forms of harassment can be quite challenging. There have been ongoing debates among scholars, legislators, policymakers, and school administrators regarding definitions of bullying, highlighting the importance of clarity for effective interventions. Cyberbullying, a form of bullying that occurs online, poses unique challenges because of its secretive nature and the constantly changing social media platforms. Understanding the experiences of victims is crucial for effectively addressing cyberbullying. Therefore, it is crucial to further explore the complexities of cyberbullying, such as its various forms, those responsible, psychological impacts, and ways to address it. Accurate reporting of cyberbullying rates is essential for informing policy decisions and prevention strategies, especially for teenagers in the United States. Even though cyberbullying is known to impact physical and mental health, it continues to be a widespread concern. It requires thorough research to develop specific interventions and improve the online safety of teenagers. This study aims to explore study quality, prevalence rates, and associated factors among US adolescents by conducting a systematic review of cyberbullying research studies. Understanding the intricacies of cyberbullying involves analyzing factors such as repetition, intent, harm, and power dynamics to effectively recognize and tackle specific cases. It is important for definitions of cyberbullying to expand to cover different forms of communication besides text and acknowledge the power dynamics present in online exchanges. Furthermore, it is essential to analyze the impact of cyberbullying on victims' well-being in physical, social, psychological, and behavioral aspects. It is crucial to comprehend how power is displayed in various ways on the internet to create successful prevention and intervention tactics. This research project seeks to enhance comprehension of the complexities of cyberbullying and develop evidence-based strategies to reduce its negative impact on the well-being of adolescents in online settings.

Task

I. How does the intensity and effect of the various forms of cyberbullying on victims differ, and how do these forms manifest on various social media platforms among teenagers?

II. What drives the actions of the most common cyberbullies who target teens, and who are they?

III. What are the psychological repercussions encountered by youth who have been victims of cyberbullying, including depression, suicidality, drug use, and physical symptoms?

IV. To make the internet a safer place for teens and lessen the prevalence of cyberbullying, what initiatives, laws, and ethical standards should be put in place?

V. Why is cyberbullying a growing problem among teens, and how has the dynamic nature of social media platforms exacerbated the problem?

VI. In order to get a better picture of the real incidence of cyberbullying, why do certain incidences go unreported while others are underreported among teenagers?

Significance of the research problem:

Teenagers are often bullied online, and this has a big effect on their mental health and well-being in this digital age. There are several strong reasons why this research problem is very important:

I. Safeguarding teenagers' mental health: Cyberbullying has been connected to many mental health problems, such as sadness, anxiety, and suicide thoughts. Learning about the experiences of cyberbullying victims and how it works at its core is important for coming up with ways to stop it and protect teens' mental health.

II. Creating safer online spaces: As social media sites keep changing, harassment has become more common and difficult to stop. This study question aims to make the internet a better place for teens to express themselves without fear of being harassed or threatened by looking into the different types of harassment, the people who do it, and how to deal with it.

III. Informing policy based on evidence: For evidence-based policies and protection methods to work, cyberbullying must be clearly defined, and the number of cases must be reported correctly. By doing a thorough analysis of previous research studies on cyberbullying, this research problem gives lawmakers solid information they can use to make decisions about how to best deal with cyberbullying.

IV. New Research Methodologies: Because cyberbullying is so complicated, new research methods are needed that are different from the ones that have been used in the past. This research problem aims to improve research methods in the field of cyberbullying and make room for more complex studies by looking at things like repeat, purpose, harm, and power dynamics.

V. Giving Educators and Practitioners More Power: Teachers, parents, and mental health professionals all play a big part in finding and stopping cyberbullying among teens. By helping us learn more about how cyberbullying works and the best ways to deal with it, this study problem gives everyone the power to step in and help victims of cyberbullying.

Lastly, tackling the study problem of cyberbullying among teens is important for protecting mental health, making the internet a safer place, forming policies based on proof, improving research methods, and giving teachers and practitioners more power. By taking this problem seriously on all fronts, we can work toward a world where teens can use technology without being bullied online.