ABSTRACT
Studying cyberbullying well requires that investigators use both the best data collection and analysis methods from existing research on more traditional bullying, but also be creative in devising new methods to do justice to the complexity of bullying via online communication. In this chapter, we make a series of methodological recommendations for potential best practices for this emerging and rapidly growing field. First, the chapter addresses a central issue regarding data collection. To assess cyberbullying, must we rely so heavily on self-report questionnaires on which youth are asked to report on their own behavior, or could we also use the technology to access electronic communication directly to code the social process as it unfolds? Second, the chapter explores whether cyberbullying should be conceived of as a categorical variable (is a young person a cyberbully or not?) or a continuous variable (to what degree does a young person engage in cyberbullying?). Third, the chapter addresses the value of variable-centered versus person-centered analyses. Fourth, the chapter addresses what the units of analysis could and perhaps should be in cyberbullying research. Last, the chapter explores the potential benefits and challenges in conducting longitudinal research on cyberbullying. Comprehensive reviews of these complex issues are beyond the scope of this chapter. The following sections will analyze specific issues, cite relevant examples, and make suggestions for best practices as this field moves forward. Because several of the methods described have not yet been widely used in cyberbullying research, and thus do not have the wide recognition and acceptance associated with the term “best practice,” we use the term in an aspirational sense.
