Sticks and Stones Can Break My Bones, But How Can Pixels Hurt Me?

Abstract

Educators and the public alike are often perplexed with the enormous and evolving cyber mise en scène. Youth of the digital generation are interacting in ways our fore-mothers and fathers never imagined — using electronic communications that until 30 years ago never existed. This article reports on a study of cyber-bullying conducted with students in grades 6 through 9 in five schools in British Columbia, Canada. Our intent was to quantify computer and cellular phone usage; to seek information on the type, extent and impact of cyber-bullying incidents from both bullies’ and victims’ perspectives; to delve into online behaviours such as harassment, labelling (gay, lesbian), negative language, sexual connotations; to solicit participants’ solutions to cyber-bullying; to canvass their opinions about cyber-bullying and to inquire into their reporting practices to school officials and other adults. This study provides insight into the growing problem of cyber-bullying and helps inform educators and policy-makers as to appropriate prevention or intervention measures to counter cyber-bullying.