Understanding Cyberbullying Victimization from an Integrated Approach: Offline Preventive Attributes and Behavior Problems Do Matter

Abstract

ABSTRACT The nascent concept of cyberbullying has attracted researchers to study online victimization by employing a variety of criminological theories. The issues of how traditional aspects of victimization constructed in the physical environment could be applied to virtual settings and the extent to which people experience cyberbullying victimization along with their victim characteristics are still underexplored. Utilizing data from the Canadian General Social Survey and a framework of routine activities, the findings of the current study indicate that target suitability and offline guardianship derived from routine activity theory are influential attributes of cyberbullying victimization. Those who have unhealthy socio- and psycho-behavioral issues also have a higher risk of being cyberbullied. Moreover, individuals who bond with people providing guardianship have a weak association with cyberbullying victimization. Results of this study also show that the propositions derived from collective efficacy perspective could be considered as a proxy safeguard against cyberbullying victimization.