Third Party Observers Witnessing Cyber Bullying on Social Media Sites

Abstract

Cyber bullying is when individuals or groups use online communication devices to intentional and repeatedly engage in hostile behaviours online, intended to hurt and harm others (Smith, Mahdavi, Carvalho, & Tippett, 2006). Cyber bullying on social networking sites (e.g., Myspace, Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, Weibo, Instant Messaging, Micro-blogging websites) goes beyond boundaries of time and space. This fact alone distinguish cyber bullying from more traditional forms of bullying. A high percentage of cyber bullying goes unreported by cyber victims or third party observers. Whilst findings indicate that one quarter of cyber bullying occurs in the presence of third party observers (Mishna, Cook, Gadalla, Daciuk, & Solomon, 2010), the number of third party observers is unlimited In an attempt to reduce cyber bullying and to increase help seeking behaviours of third party observers, this study reported undergraduate students’ perspectives of third party observers witnessing cyber bullying on social media sites. This study forms part of a larger study examining undergraduate students’ perspectives of cyber bullying on social media sites.