ABSTRACT
Public health campaigns using public service announcements (PSAs) have been implemented to prevent negative behaviors, like bullying and cyberbullying, and promote positive behaviors like bystander intervention. These campaigns aim to properly define bullying and cyberbullying in order to educate, generate awareness, and encourage intervention and prevention among the general public. In-depth focus groups were conducted with 152 digital native informants who watched five existing PSAs. Using a Symbolic Interactionism frame and a mental models approach, layperson definitions of cyberbullying were collected and compared to academic definitions. Despite a lack of perceived realism with some PSAs, viewers identified key components presented that lead to a better understanding of, and improved vigilance in, preventing and responding to cyberbullying in their real lives.
