Gary W. Giumetti

Bullying in the digital age: A critical review and meta-analysis of cyberbullying research among youth

Although the Internet has transformed the way our world operates, it has also served as a venue for cyberbullying, a serious form of misbehavior among youth. With many of todays youth experiencing acts of cyberbullying, a growing body of literature has begun to document the prevalence, predictors, and outcomes of this behavior, but the literature is highly fragmented and lacks theoretical focus. Therefore, our purpose in the present article is to provide a critical review of the existing cyberbullying research. The general aggression model is proposed as a useful theoretical framework from which to understand this phenomenon. Additionally, results from a meta-analytic review are presented to highlight the size of the relationships between cyberbullying and traditional bullying, as well as relationships between cyberbullying and other meaningful behavioral and psychological variables. Mixed effects meta-analysis results indicate that among the strongest associations with cyberbullying perpetration were normative beliefs about aggression and moral disengagement, and the strongest associations with cyberbullying victimization were stress and suicidal ideation. Several methodological and sample characteristics served as moderators of these relationships. Limitations of the meta-analysis include issues dealing with causality or directionality of these associations as well as generalizability for those meta-analytic estimates that are based on smaller sets of studies (k < 5). Finally, the present results uncover important areas for future research. We provide a relevant agenda, including the need for understanding the incremental impact of cyberbullying (over and above traditional bullying) on key behavioral and psychological outcomes.

What a Rude E-Mail! Examining the Differential Effects of Incivility Versus Support on Mood, Energy, Engagement, and Performance in an Online Context

Existing research on workplace incivility has demonstrated an association with a host of negative outcomes, including increased burnout, turnover intentions, and physical symptoms. With the rise in Internet communication over the last decade, interpersonal mistreatment has spilled over to the Internet, but little is known about the impact of incivility communicated via e-mail on employee psychological and performance outcomes. The current study presents a within-subjects experiment wherein incivility and support were manipulated in a laboratory-based simulated workplace setting. Eighty-four participants completed a series of math tasks while interacting with either an uncivil or a supportive supervisor via e-mail. Data were collected on energy, cardiac activity, mood, task performance, and engagement. Findings indicate that participants reported higher levels of negative affect and lower levels of energy after working with the uncivil supervisor than with the supportive supervisor. Additionally, participants performed significantly worse on the math tasks and had lower engagement in the uncivil condition than the supportive condition, and these relationships were mediated by energy. No differences were found in cardiac activity between the two conditions. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the 21st century world of work.

Cyber incivility @ work: The new age of interpersonal deviance.

The current study was designed to extend the interpersonal deviance literature into the online domain by examining the incidence and impact of supervisor cyber incivility and neuroticism on employee outcomes at work. Conservation of Resources (COR) theory was used as the guiding framework because cyber incivility is thought to deplete energetic resources in much the same way that other stressors do, ultimately leading to negative outcomes like burnout. Results indicate that supervisor cyber incivility is positively related to burnout, absenteeism, and turnover intentions. Support was also found for the role of neuroticism as a moderator of the relationship between supervisor cyber incivility and outcomes. In general, the relations between cyber incivility and outcomes were stronger for those individuals reporting higher levels of neuroticism. Results are discussed in terms of COR theory, and possible mechanisms for the role of neuroticism in the stressor-strain relationship are discussed. The current study highlights the importance of understanding workplace online behavior and its impact on employee health and organizational well-being. Future research directions examining online interpersonal deviance are suggested.

Chapter 14 Cyber Bullying Among College Students: Evidence from Multiple Domains of College Life

Although media and research accounts of cyber bullying suggest this misbehavior is localized primarily among middle school students, and that its frequency decreases with age, this chapter presents empirical data showing that cyber bullying occurs with considerable frequency among college students across multiple domains of life, specifically school and work. In Study 1, 28 male and 82 female undergraduate students completed a survey examining their online activities as well as their experiences with cyber bullying. Over 30% of the participants indicated that their first experience with cyber bullying was in college. No gender differences were observed with regard to victimization or perpetration, except with online gaming where males reported a higher rate of victimization than females. With regard to personality differences among victims and perpetrators, victims were lower in agreeableness than non-victims. Study 2 examined the prevalence of cyber bullying among 107 college students at work, as well as the negative outcomes linked to the experience of workplace cyber bullying. Nearly a third of the college student sample reported having been the target of cyber bullying within the past six months. Individuals in jobs in which the Internet is essential and racial minorities reported higher rates of cyber bullying at work. Additionally, cyber bullying was positively linked to several negative emotions, as well as burnout and job search effort. These findings have important implications not only for potential negative outcomes that college students may be facing at school and at work but also for organizational justice issues, as differential treatment at work can lead to lawsuits and other negative work outcomes.

Cyberbullying Matters: Examining the Incremental Impact of Cyberbullying On Outcomes Over and Above Traditional Bullying in North America

Bullying among youth is a relatively widespread problem as estimates at the number of youth affected in the USA suggest that nearly 14.6 million youth may experience traditional bullying and 6.2 million may experience cyberbullying as either a victim or perpetrator. Traditional bullying and cyberbullying share many features in common, and research suggests that the two phenomena overlap to a great extent, with as many as 88 % of victims (or perpetrators) of traditional bullying also being cyberbullying victims (or perpetrators). This finding has caused some researchers to question whether cyberbullying is really a unique phenomenon that can negatively impact youth. The current study adds to our understanding of this overlap by examining the extent to which cyberbullying predicts unique variance in several individual health and behavioral outcomes over and above traditional bullying. The data are drawn from two large-scale samples of youth from the USA. Results of hierarchical regression analyses indicate that cyberbullying explained between 1 and 4 % unique variance in several outcomes (e.g., absenteeism, depression, grades in school) over and above traditional bullying. These results suggest that cyberbullying represents a unique form of bullying that has the potential to impact youth negatively. Future bullying researchers are encouraged to measure both forms of media through which bullying can occur (i.e., traditional and cyber) to obtain a fuller understanding of the bullying context and the subsequent impact on youth.

Forced distribution rating systems: : When does rank and yank lead to adverse impact?

Despite widespread use of forced distribution rating systems (FDRSs), the potential for this performance appraisal method to lead to adverse impact (AI) in a layoff context has yet to be examined empirically. Thus, the current study uses a Monte Carlo simulation to examine the likelihood of encountering AI violations when an FDRS is used in the context of layoffs. The primary research questions included an examination of how AI violations change depending on the definition of the employment action (i.e., retention vs. layoff), the length of the repeated layoffs, and whether or not laid off employees are replaced each year. The current study also examined the impact of the size of the organization, the percentage of the workforce laid off, and the type of AI calculation method used on the likelihood of AI violations. Results suggest that defining the employment action as layoffs (rather than as retentions) may result in a greater likelihood of AI violations, and AI violations are likely to peak in the 1st year of use. Further, replacing laid off employees may result in higher levels of AI over time as compared with not replacing layoffs. Additionally, the greatest risk for AI occurs when the organization size is large (i.e., N = 10,000) and when certain AI calculation methods are used. Results are discussed in terms of their practical and legal implications for organizations.

Sticks and stones may break my bones, but abusive text messages also hurt: Development and validation of the Cyber Psychological Abuse scale.

Psychological abuse between intimate partners is common and is an important area of inquiry. The present study sought to develop and validate the Cyber Psychological Abuse (CPA) scale to assess psychological abuse during arguments between romantic partners using cell phones, e-mail, computers, and through social networking sites. A sample of 271 undergraduate students who were currently in romantic relationships completed a series of measures in an online survey. Results indicated a 2-factor structure of the CPA scale (minor and severe cyber abuse). Cyber psychological abuse was very common with 93% of college students perpetrating and being victimized by minor cyber abuse (e.g., swearing, insulting, or “shouting” with capital letters) during arguments in their current romantic relationships. Severe cyber psychological abuse (e.g., threats or public humiliation) was less common with 12%–13% of college students reporting such abuse. No gender differences were found for minor cyber abuse, but males were more likely to report being victimized by severe cyber abuse than females. The CPA’s victimization and perpetration scales showed an expected pattern of associations with previously validated abuse and aggression measures as well as with perceived stress levels. Minor cyber abuse on the CPA scale predicted levels of perceived stress over and above physical abuse. The results of the current study provide a preliminary demonstration of the validity of the CPA scale, which appears to be an internally consistent and valid measure for capturing psychological partner abuse as it occurs in an electronic context.

Pet Peeves and Happiness: How Do Happy People Complain?

ABSTRACT The present study was designed to investigate the relationships among mindfulness, happiness, and the expression of pet peeves. Previous research has established a positive correlation between happiness and mindfulness, but, to date, no research has examined how each of these variables is related to complaining in the form of pet peeves. Four hundred ten male and female college students listed the pet peeves they had with a current or former relationship partner. They also completed measures of happiness, positive and negative affect, depression, mindfulness, relationship satisfaction, and satisfaction with life. Pet peeves were negatively correlated with relationship satisfaction, well-being, and mindfulness. Consistent with hypotheses, support was found for the mediating role of mindfulness in the relationship between happiness and pet peeves.

Bullying and Cyberbullying Among Rural Youth

Much of the research on both traditional bullying and cyberbullying has been conducted using samples in urban and suburban areas to the virtual exclusion of rural populations. Very few researchers have discussed how bullying among individuals in urban areas compares with bullying among individuals in non-urban areas. Rural and urban areas differ from one another along a number of important variables including economic growth, unemployment, socioeconomic status, liberalism/conservatism, and poverty rates. Because of these features, not only might prevalence rates of involvement in bullying differ between urban and rural areas, but also prevention and intervention strategies may differ somewhat. The current chapter examines what we know about both traditional bullying and cyberbullying in both urban and rural areas. The chapter highlights the need for more research directly comparing experiences of bullying and cyberbullying among individuals in rural and non-rural areas.

The Impact of Applicants’ Weight and Education About Obesity on Applicant Ratings

Approximately one-third of the U.S. adult population meets the body mass index (BMI) criteria for being considered obese (National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, 2012). Similarly, 27.7% of workplace employees are considered obese (Luckhaupt, Cohen, Li, & Calvert, 2014). Research has found that obese individuals, particularly women, are discriminated against based on their appearance, especially during the hiring process. For example, interviewers have neglected to invite obese candidates to interviews due to implicit biases toward their application photographs, despite the candidates’ qualifications for the position (Agerström & Rooth, 2011). Past studies have attempted to reduce obesity’s negative stigma (Burmeister et al., 2017), but weight discrimination still exists. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to reduce discrimination in the hiring process against obese individuals by providing education on the uncontrollable causes of obesity (e.g., genetics).