I felt truly powerless: Narrative research on cyberbullying victimization and negative outcomes in graduate education

Abstract

Cyberbullying victimization of sexual minoritized students has been linked to negative consequences, but less is known about cyberbullying and its impact on the graduate student experience. This thematic analysis explored how 10 graduate students defined, experienced, and observed cyberbullying victimization and its associated negative consequences, and whether instances of cyberbullying were attributable to students’ sexual identities. The researchers used thematic analysis to unearth three themes: (1) hostile tech-based communications were a common source of cyberbullying among faculty, staff, and students; (2) students felt powerless due to hierarchical power structures; and (3) students described graduate school as a culture of struggling in solidarity, where negative physical, mental, and emotional consequences were expected aspects of the experience. Although this study did not uncover cyberbullying victimization resulting from one's sexual identity, some sexually minoritized students reported utilizing substances to cope with their potential identity-related experiences. Overall, this study sought to shed light on graduate students’ experiences with cyberbullying victimization in higher education and encourage institutions to cultivate environments that are mutually respectful and inclusive of sexually diverse students, faculty, and staff.