Cyberbullying in Turkish middle schools: An exploratory study

Abstract

This study explored Turkish students' experience of cyberbullying and their use of social networking tools. A total of 756 7th-grade students participated from eight different middle schools in Istanbul, the largest city of Turkey. A 15-item questionnaire was used in a classroom environment to collect data. Results revealed that male students were more involved in cyberbullying than female students. Students used instant messaging programs in cyberbullying, and bullying victims did not communicate with adults when they were exposed to harassment. The majority of students did not know effective safety strategies for use in cyberspace. Those who were themselves cyberbullied tended to engage in cyberbullying. The prevalence of cyberbullying in Turkish middle schools suggests that schools should adopt appropriate prevention strategies.