Cyberbullying in Rural Communities: Origin and Processing through the Lens of Older Adolescents

Authors

Lisa Reason, Liberty UniversityFollow
Michael Boyd, Liberty UniversityFollow
Casey Reason, University of ToledoFollow

Abstract

The experiences of older adolescent cyberbullying victims from a rural community were explored in this qualitative study. Findings revealed that cyberbullying originates primarily as the result of jealousy over romantic relationships and cultural, religious, or sexual orientation intolerance. Participants also indicated that cyberbullies tend to be more brazen and cruel as the result of perceived anonymity. In addition, participants reported feelings of helplessness and rage in response to the attacks. Finally, participants suggested that the lack of knowledge and understanding of cyberspace resulted in a lack of emotional support and protection against cyberbullying.

Keywords

School Counselors, Adolescents, Bullying, Cyberbullying, Rural Schools, Support and Prevention, Qualitative, Phenomenology

Author Bio(s)

Lisa Reason, PhD, is associate faculty at Liberty University. As an expert in designing and facilitating distance learning experiences, Dr. Reason has led the development of a number of courses and programs related to student support services and counseling. Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: lisa.reason@gmail.com.

Michael Boyd, EdD, is a graduate of Liberty University, and is an economics, APA history, and AP psychology teacher in Georgia. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: mmboyd24@bellsouth.net.

Casey Reason, PhD, is a visiting professor and director of the Center for Advanced Studies of professional Learning Communities and Virtual Collaboration at The University of Toledo. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: creason@caseyreason.com.

Publication Date

12-22-2016

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

DOI

10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2554

Recommended APA Citation

Reason, L., Boyd, M., & Reason, C. (2016). Cyberbullying in Rural Communities: Origin and Processing through the Lens of Older Adolescents. The Qualitative Report, 21(12), 2331-2348. https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2016.2554