Differences in Parent and Adolescent Views on Cyberbullying in the US

Purposeful sampling was used to identify participants. A total of 131 participants participated in 14 focus groups. The participants were 69 percent female, 50 percent adults, and 68 percent Caucasian. Results showed that when discussing cyberbullying, adolescents focused on how we relate to one another when cyberbullying occurs, and parents focused on the repercussions of cyberbullying. Adolescents and parents agreed that parents needed to do a better job of trying to understand how their adolescents engage with others on social media in order to become effective allies in addressing this issue. Also, more resources are needed to help parents navigate how to address cyberbullying when it occurs. (publisher abstract modified)