Cyber-bullying: the situation in Ireland

This paper reports on the first major survey of cyber-bullying undertaken in Ireland. While preliminary results have been published they were based on a smaller and incomplete sample of 12–16 year olds living in Ireland. The preliminary results addressed the incidence level of cyber-bullying and that of the different subcategories of cyber-bullying (text message bullying, the sending of pictures and video clips via mobile telephones, threatening calls, emails, instant messages and abuse via social networking sites and chat rooms). However, they omitted to provide a comprehensive picture of the views held by the participants to cyber-bullying. Thus the aim of the present paper is to report more thoroughly on the thoughts and feelings that students have to cyber-bullying and the ways in which they cope when subjected to cyber-bullying. The objective is to gain an understanding of cyber-bullying from the perspective of students in order that effective strategies can be developed to prevent and counter cyber-bullying. Across the sample (n = 3004), 13.9% reported that they had been cyber-bullied within the last couple of months and 8.6% confessed to cyber-bullying others. While 29.8% were bullied both offline and online and 24.4% bullied others online and offline, the fact that one in five students were found to be involved either as a cyber-bully, cyber-victim or both reflects that cyber-bullying is a cause of great concern to students, parents and teachers due to the emotional and behavioural problems experienced by them as a result of cyber-bullying, and one that requires urgent action. The views the students hold on cyber-bullying and their implications for prevention and intervention are discussed.