Differences in Parent and Adolescent Views on Cyberbullying

• NCJ Number: 252334
• Author(s): Nikita Midamba, Megan Moreno
• Date Published: February 2017
• Length: 2 pages
• Agencies: NIJ-Sponsored

Annotation

This study examined the similarities and differences between parent and adolescent views on cyberbullying in the United States, and how adolescents and parents view parents' role in addressing this issue.

Abstract

Purposeful sampling was used to identify participants. A total of 131 participants took part 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 the parent and child 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)