ABSTRACT
This chapter aims to present an overview of current knowledge on youth cyberbullying, including via social media. This area has attracted a huge amount of attention in recent years from academics, the media, police, the criminal justice system, politicians, parents, teachers, charities and technology companies. The vast range of existing studies – spanning fields of psychology, health, youth studies, education and sociology – has occasionally produced conflicting findings and recommendations. At one end of the spectrum are accusations of ‘moral panics’ around youth, deviance and new technology, with claims that protectionist approaches are used to justify increased surveil-lance and restrictions on young people (Cesaroni, Downing, & Alvi, 2012; Kelly, 2000; Waldron, 2014). At the other are warnings over a multitude of new digital risks facing the young generation, the likes of which many adults are unaware of, inexperienced with or ill-equipped to manage (Korenis & Billick, 2014; Mishna, Saini, & Solomon, 2009; Strom, Strom, Walker, Sindel-Arrington, & Beckert, 2011). Before any solutions can be considered, we must first identify and critically analyse the issue itself. This chapter will explore key questions, such as how cyberbullying is defined, the role of technology and social media, how harmful and prevalent the practice is, and suggestions for interventions.
