THE EFFECTS OF CYBER BULLYING AMONG SENIOR HIGH

SCHOOL STUDENTS IN BUENAVISTA NATIONAL

HIGH SCHOOL

A Qualitative Research Proposal

presented to the Faculty of

BUENAVISTA NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL

Matabao, Buenavista, Agusan del Norte

in partial fulfillment of the requirements in

PRACTICAL RESEARCH 1

Bandayanon, Elje, A.

Bayangbang, John Jacob, B.

De Guzman, Judy Ann, S.

Dotollo, Jean Abigael, S.

Grade 11 Florence

JEANNE E. FORSUELO, LPT

MAY 19, 2022

 CHAPTER I

Introduction

Cyber Bullying is an online aggressive behavior in the digital space. Bullying is a form
of peer aggression which can be as damaging as any form of conventional aggression
(Mickie,2011). The problem investigated in this research concerns cyber bullying that
disturbs university students psychologically and emotionally. Bullying also prevents students
from achieving good grades. It seems that technologies are in some ways creating more
stress on our young in the form of cyber bullying rather than to help them progress.
Research findings have shown than young students who become victims of cyber bullies
suffer stress (Elizabeth,2010). Hence there is an urgent need to understand the problems
faced by the victims so that concrete and proactive measures can be taken by university
authorities, teachers and parents to address this global problems.

According to the study of Research Institute of Nursing Science cyberbullying is more

harmful than other types of violence because a negative post or comment can reach a limit-
less number of social media (SM) users, thereby increasing the opportunity of prolonged
exposure and permanency. Furthermore, younger generations currently tend to embrace the
use of SM. A term related to “cyber bullying” is “cyber victimization’, which refers to the
experience of being victimized through the use of electronic information on the internet . In
the country of Philippines cyber bullying is considered to be a form of violent behavior;
therefore, it is expected that cyber bullying detrimental effects for both the victim and the
perpetrator. The use of the internet for SM has steadily grown over time. As of January 2020,
the estimated number of active SM users worldwide was 3.8 billion, reflecting an increase
from the number of 3.4 billion in January 2019 . In particular, during the coronavirus disease
2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there has been an increase in the number of digital platform
users. Individuals are now actively posting their new achievements during the pandemic
lockdown and expressing their opinions more vocally than before, as SM is now the most
frequently used communication method for most individuals. One study showed that as SM
use increases, students who are prone to bullying are more likely to face cyberbullying.
There can be a limitless exchange of information among the SM users, and this information
can sometimes be used in negative ways that may cause harm or make someone feel
harassed. The act of harassing or harming someone via the use of SM is called
cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can happen by sending harassing messages, posting
derogatory comments on SM sites, posting humiliating pictures, and threatening someone
electronically (Kim,2021).
 The victims of cyber bullying usually report feelings of depression, anger, frustration,
and even suicidal thoughts. Cyberbullying has been found to be linked to low self-esteem,
family problems, academic problems, violence, and delinquent behaviors. In general, the
estimated number of adolescents experiencing cyberbullying is around 10%-40%, although
the percentage depends on age and the definition of cyberbullying used in the study . In the
United States, among a sample of 5,700 middle to high school students, 33.8% admitted to
being cyberbullied, while 11.5% admitted to being perpetrators of cyberbullying. In South
Korea, 10.8% of 50,000 elementary to high school students experienced cyberbullying. In a
survey conducted in the Philippines, it was found that 80% of 1,143 respondents aged 13-16
years experienced cyberbullying. A psychological factor related to the development of violent
behavior is having a low empathy level. Empathy can be defined using two dimensions:
cognitive and affective. Cognitive empathy is the ability to communicate, tolerate, recognize,
and perceive emotions, while affective empathy refers to the ability to perceive and share
both the positive and negative emotions of other people. A study showed that lower levels of
empathy increased the development of violent or aggressive behaviors, while a higher level
of empathy decreased the development of violent or aggressive behaviors. Since
cyberbullying is considered to be a violent behavior, it is possible that empathy influences
cyberbullying (Shannen,2020). According to the study of Child Health Nursing Research
adolescence is an important developmental stage when adolescents transition from
childhood to adulthood. The changes experienced by adolescents also affect their roles in
their family, with friends, and in their communities. Thus, it is vital to pay special attention to
adolescents. The parents of Filipino adolescents set the expectation that they are to be
aware of their actions and the consequences corresponding to those actions. Camaraderie
is a factor valued by Filipino adolescents, which is why it is natural for them to be friendly,
resulting in the expectation that they know how to empathize with someone. Nonetheless,
little research has discussed Filipino adolescents’ characteristics, and although favorable
characteristics have been mentioned, there has been an increase in cases of cyberbullying
in the Philippines. It has been reported that inhabitants of the Philippines spend an average
of 4 hours a day using SM, exceeding the values reported for other countries . Since
prolonged exposure to SM can increase victimization, Filipinos may be exposed to the
harmful effects of SM for a longer time than others. Although there has been an increase in
the number of cases of cyberbullying in the Philippines, little research has tackled this issue.
Because of the detrimental effects of cyberbullying, it is important for adolescents to be
aware of its seriousness and the importance of putting an end to this violent behavior. Since
adolescence is a vital stage of life, it is important to properly guide adolescents throughout
this period. To the researchers’ knowledge, no published study has yet investigated empathy
among Filipino adolescents and its possible influence on cyberbullying and cyber
victimization (Lee,2021).

This study examines ways in which schools can prevent cyberbullying and, when
necessary, intervene when cyberbullying does occur. In finding a possible solution to cyber
bullying, victims will feel safer, not only in their homes, but at school as well.

The purpose of this research is to further understand and evaluate cyberbullying

which continues to occur more frequently as technology becomes more readily accessible by
the masses, especially students; and to explore ways of preventing cyberbullying before it
happens, and intervening after it has occurred.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to evaluate the effects of cyber bullying among Senior High School
students in Buenavista National High School.

Specifically, it will seek to answer the following questions:

1.What is the demographic profile of the Respondent in terms of:

1.1 Age;

1.2 gender;

1.3 Grade/Section;

1.4 Strand; and

1.5 Address;

2.Did you experience cyber bullying?

3.What are the effects of cyber bullying?

4.How were you able to cope up cyber bullying?

Significance of the Study

The researchers believe that this study will not only yield data that will be helpful to
them, more so to the group of the following people.

Learners – To give information about cyber bullying and it could help learners be able to
cope up with this matter by means of having knowledge about the awareness or the
hardness that they might encounter in cyber bullying.

Teachers – To help the students being aware about the effects of cyber bullying to guide
them how to cope up with it.

Parents – To give knowledge to the parents about the effects cyber bullying might cause,
how to cope and beat many strategies that will help their children overcome these
challenges.

Principle – To give awareness to the teachers, students, and parents about cyber bullying
and its effects, to implement a policy that can secure the safety of the students.

Other Researchers – To use as reference on their future studies.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

This study will focus on the effects of cyber bullying. Twenty (20) Senior High School
students from Buenavista National High School were randomly selected as the participants
of the study. The researchers will conduct this study during the School year 2021 – 2022.

i
 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK

Review of Related Literature

In this paper, cyber bullying is defined as a form of bullying that uses electronic
means such as the Internet and mobile phones to repeatedly, aggressively, and intentionally
harm someone (Price & Dalgleish, 2010; Ang & Goh, 2010; Willard, 2007). The
communication is transferred through electronic devices such as cell phones, websites,
webcams, chat rooms, and email (Shariff,2005). A cyber victim is defined as a person who
cannot easily defend him or herself (Jimerson, Swearer, & Espelage,2009) from any form of
electronic bullying. A cyber perpetrator is defined as a person who attempts to gain power
and dominance over others (Shariff,2008) with any form of electronic bullying. Shariff (2008)
uses the terms perpetrator rather than bully because he or she "initiates a certain action in a
specific context, whereas labeling an individual as a bully gives the perception that such an
individual is a bad or evil person at all times".

Definition of cyberbullying should “illustrate the forms it takes, the tools that are used
to engage in it, and ways in which it is understand to differ from traditional bullying”
(Shariff,2008.p.29).Between the years of school 2001 and 2003, two individuals have been
credited with coining the term cyberbullying: Canadian school teacher Bill Basley (2008),
who is also credited with establishing the first online site pertaining to cyberbullying,
cyberbullying.org... and American Lawyer, Nang Willard (2003).Basley (2008) says
cyberbullying involves the use of information and communication technologies to support
deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual group that is intended to harm
others.

Willard (2003) original defined cyberbullying as language that is “defamatory,

constitutes bullying, harassment, or discrimination, discloses personal information, or
contains offensive, vulgar or derogatory comments” (p.66).While this outlined the form of the
language, it did not define the tools that were used for engagement or how it differs from
traditional bullying. Willard (2007) has since then redefined cyberbullying as being cruel to
others by sending or posting harmful material or engaging in other forms of social cruelty
using the Internet or other digital technologies, such as cellphones. Young people may be
the target of cyberbullying from others or may engage in such harmful behavior. Direct
cyberbullying involves repeatedly sending offensive messages. More indirect forms of
cyberbullying include disseminating denigrating materials or sensitive personal information
or impersonating someone to cause harm. Willard (2007) also believes that the terms
Internet and online are interchangeable when speaking about cyber issues as “it is getting
pretty hard to define where the Internet begins and where it ends. I consider these to be
expansive terms that encompass all of the current and emerging information and
communication technologies”.

According to Sherri Gordon (2022) when a young person uses the Internet or
technology to harass, threaten, embarrass, or target another person, this person is called a
cyberbully. Typically, cyberbullying involves tweens and teens; but it’s not uncommon for
adults to experience cyberbullying and public shaming as well. Compared to traditional
bullying, the effects of cyberbullying are often more significant. Not only do the hurtful
messages reach an unlimited audience, but the words and images are often preserved
online. Even if someone deletes a mean post, chances are it’s still available in some form
such as in a screenshot or a shared text message. Worst yet, those who are targeted by
cyberbullies often don’t know who is bullying them, so they often have no way to bring it to
an end.

According to Sameer Hinduja & Justin Patchin (2010) empirical studies and some
high-profile anecdotal cases have demonstrated a link between suicidal ideation and
experiences with bullying victimization or offending. The current study examines the extent
to which a nontraditional form of peer aggression – cyberbullying – is also related to suicidal
ideation among adolescents. In 2007, a random sample of 1,963 middle & secondary–
schoolers from one of the largest school districts in the United States completed a survey of
Internet use and experiences. Youth who experience cyberbullying, as either an offender or
a victim, had more suicidal thoughts and were more likely to attempt suicide than those who
had not experienced such forms of peer aggression. Also, victimization was more strongly
related to suicidal thoughts and behaviors than offending. The findings provide further
evidence that adolescent peer aggression must be taken seriously both at school and at
home, and suggest that a suicide prevention and intervention component is essential within
comprehensive bullying response programs implemented in schools.

According to the United Nations Chronicle (Liam Hackett,2016) Digital identify is a

relatively new concept, so there is no real precedent to follow regarding the integration of
technology into our daily lives and ways to distinguish between our online and offline
personas. While the Internet is a powerful tool that can be used to connect like-minded
people and communities, it is also often used as a platform to defame, harass and abuse
people within the sanctuary of their own homes. Research suggests that up to 7 in 10 young
people have experienced online abuse at some point. The term cyberbullying is often treated
as a distinct phenomenon, but is an extension of bullying which is an age-old problem.
Bullying taps into Societal undertones of prejudice and discrimination and often impacts
people with protected characteristics of race, religion, sexuality, gender, identity and
disability the most.

Traditionally, cyberbullying was often exclusively confined to the educational

environment, with one’s home being a safe haven. Today, however, it is possible for a young
person to be bullied not only at school but also in the family car or at home, alone in their
bedroom, and even in clear sight of their parents or guardians without those adults ever
being so integral to modern living, some young people have every little opportunity to escape
the abuse, and many remain in a constant state of stress and anxiety. One in three victims of
cyberbullying have self-harmed as a result, and 1 in 10 has attempted suicide. It is
consistently found that approximately one in two young people who experience cyberbullying
never tell anyone out of fear, embarrassment or a lack of faith in support system. Abuse,
whether it be online or offline, plays havoc with the mental health of young people and
generate additional surges of stress.

Over a four–year period, from the analysis of 19 million tweets, a Ditch the Label and
Brandwatch report found that there were almost 5 million cases of misogyny on Twitter
alone. Fifty-two per cent of the misogynistic insults recorded were authored by women and
typically targeted the appearance, intelligence and sexual preferences of other women. The
report found 7.7 million cases of racism, 390,296 instances of homophobia and 19,348
transphobic messages sent on Twitter. Only public data was examined, so when the figures
are extrapolated from the entire Internet to include both public and private communication
channels, the level of online hate speech is overwhelming.

For all of us, our identity is sacred and something that we spend our entire lives
crafting and evolving. For a young person, identity is temperamental and something that still
remains largely undiscovered. Identity influences come largely from protected characteristics
and as such, young people attach a great deal of importance to their religious and cultural
identity, sexuality, gender identity or a disability. These characteristics are frequently used to
bully a person online. Abuse often breeds internalized resentment for oneself. A young
person who experiences racism online is likely to see their skin color as the issue, and they
may want to change that aspect of his or herself in order to avoid abuse.
 The Internet has created a new paradigm shift in communication. Today our youth
are addicted to using electronic communication tools. It is an undeniable fact that electronic-
based communication has transformed our lives tremendously, but unfortunately, there is a
dark side to this technological advancement. Cyberspace is a potential site for violence,
victimization and oppression (Faye, 2011). According to Olweus (1993), “a student is being
bullied or victimized when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative
actions on the part of one or more other students.” Hence, bullying is showing aggressive
behavior to a person without any prior provocation with the intention of causing harm. It also
denotes that the harm is done repeatedly over time and there is a disparity in strength and
power between the victims and cyber criminals. Electronic bullying or cyber bullying,
according to Kowalski (2011) simply indicates using the Internet to cause psychological and
emotional disturbances. Olthof (2011) defines cyber bullying as a strategic behavior of an
individual to dominate another individual or a group of individuals. Online Oxford Dictionary
defines cyber bullying as the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by
sending messages of an intimidating or threatening nature. Cyber bullying is defined by
Wikipedia as a deliberate act of aggression using technological advances such as internet to
cause harm to a person.

This aggression can be repeated, deliberate hostility. Cyber-bullying occurs "when

the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to
hurt or embarrass another person” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyber-bullying). Cyber
bullying causes grave harm to an individual or group of people by exposing their personal
data, real names and addresses to criminals with malicious intent to the targeted individual
or group. Cyber bullying can include such acts as making threats, sending provocative
insults or racial or ethnic slurs, gay bashing, attempting to infect the victim's computer with a
virus, and flooding an e-mail inbox with messages (WatIs.com). According to Olweus, (1986,
1993) the following are some symptoms of victims of cyber bullying:

1.Anxious, insecure, unhappy and have low self-esteem.

2.Cautious, sensitive, quiet, withdrawn and shy.

3.Depressed and engaged in suicidal ideation much more often than their peers.

4.Do not have a single good friend to discuss problems.

5.Often physically weaker than their peers in the school.

The following are some characteristics of cyber bullies:

1.Often involved in other antisocial activities such as drug use.

 2.Impulsive and easily angered.

3. Strong need to dominate other students.

4. Show little empathy toward students who are victimized.

5. Often physically stronger than other students in the class.

6. Often defiant and aggressive, including to parents and teachers.

Cyber bullying also happens when a person's name is used to undesirable materials
online, thus causing character assassination of the victim. Character assassination can be
done through e-mail, chat room, sms, calls, social network, twitter, Myspace, Facebook,
discussion boards, on-line forums, blogs, instigation and rumors. Recent findings indicate
that cyber bullying is becoming a pervasive problem around the world and it is increasing
alarmingly. (John, 2011). The psychological effects of cyber bullying in our society and
institutions cannot be ignored any longer (Bulent, 2009). As the social networking domain
expands in cyber space, it inevitably creates more opportunities for cyber criminals to
victimize young, unsuspecting internet users (Allison,2009). Research findings have shown
that cyber bullying causes emotional and physiological damage to defenseless victims.
(Yavuz, 2010).

Cyberbullying is more likely than other forms of bullying to go unreported to parents

and administrators. This is due to victims feeling they needed to learn to deal with it
themselves and also being afraid that if they tell their parents, their internet privileges will be
reduced or taken away. It has been found that 90% of respondents in the Juvonen and
Gross study (2008) reported not telling adults about cyberbullying incidents due to these
reasons. Victims of cyberbullying may experience stress, low self-esteem, and depression. It
has been found that cyberbullying can also have extreme repercussions such as suicide and
violence. Marr and Field (2001) referred to suicide brought on by bullying as "bullycide"
(Marr & Field, 2001).

A particular victim of cyberbullying that lead to "bullycide" is Megan Meier. Megan

was a I3-year-old female from Missouri who was cyberbullied to the point that she hung
herself in her closet in October of 2006 (Pokin, 2007). Megan thought that she was talking
with a 16-year-old boy named Josh on MySpace. During the six weeks they were talking,
Megan's mom kept a close eye on the conversations. On October 15th, 2006, Megan
received a message on MySpace from Josh which said, "I don't know if! want to be friends
with you anymore because I've heard that you are not very nice to your friends." The next
day, students were posting bulletins about Megan and Josh had sent her another message
which read, "Everybody in O'Fallon knows how you are. You are a bad person and
everybody hates you. Have a shitty rest of your life. The world would be a better place
without you." That day, Megan's parents found her hanging in her closet and rushed her to
the hospital, where she died the following day (Pokin, 2007).

Although Megan's parents did know about Josh and what he had been saying to her,
there was no way of knowing that these messages would lead to her suicide. It was found
that Lori Drew, the mother of one of Megan's former friends, had created the fake MySpace
account with her daughter. Drew was convicted of three misdemeanor charges of computer
fraud for her involvement in creating the phony account which tricked Megan, who later
committed suicide. This conviction was the country's first cyberbullying verdict which was
ruled on November 26th, 2008 (Steinhauer, 2008). On July 2nd, 2009, federal judge George
H. Wu threw out the conviction. Judge Wu tentatively acquitted Drew of the previously
mentioned misdemeanor charges, stating that the federal statute under which Drew was
convicted is too "vague" when applied in this particular case. Further stating that if he were
to allow Drew's conviction to stand, "one could literally prosecute anyone who violates a
terms of service agreement" in any way (Cathcart, 2009).

Demographic
profile:

Age; Effects of cyber bullying to:

gender; Cyber Bullying
Grade/Section; 1. Student's mental health.
Strand; and 2. Student's academic
Address; performance.
3. Student's social behavior.
4. Student's self-injurious and
suicidal thoughts.

Coping mechanism to
avoid cyber bullying:
Definition Of Terms

Academic Performance – is the extent to which a student, teacher or institution has

attained their short or long – term educational goals.

Bullying – is the use of force, coercion, hurtful teasing or threat, to abuse, aggressively
dominate or intimidate.

Cyber Bullying – the use of electronic communication to bully a person, typically by sending
messages of an intimidating or threatening nature.

Discrimination – is the unfair or prejudicial treatment of people and groups based on

characteristics such as race, gender, age or sexual orientation.

Embarrassment – something that causes a person or group to feel foolish.

Harassment – is any unwanted behavior, physical or verbal (or even suggested), that
makes a reasonable person to feel uncomfortable, humiliated, or mentally distressed.

Internet – a global computer network providing a variety of information and communication

facilities, consisting of interconnected networks using standardized communication
protocols.

Policy – a course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, party,

business, or individual.

Suicide – is the act of intentionally causing one’s own death.

Technology – is the application of scientific knowledge to the practical aims of human life or,
as it is sometimes phrased, to the change and manipulation of the human environment.

RESEARCH QUESTIONNAIRE

The study aims to evaluate the effects of cyber bullying to the mental health and
academic performance of Senior High School Students in Buenavista National High School.

Directions: Please kindly answer the following questions:

1.Demographic profile

1.1 Age: ________________

1.2 Gender

Female

Male

Prefer not to say

1.3 Grade/Section: _________________________________________________

1.4 Strand: _______________________________________________________

2.Did you experience cyber bullying?

Yes No

3.What are the effects of cyber bullying?

 Mental health issues (depression, anxiety, stress)

Poor academic performance

Social behavior (low self - esteem)

Negative emotions (sadness, anger, fear, and embarrassment)

Health effects (headaches, stomach aches, and sleeping problems)

Suicidal thoughts and self – harm

4.How were you able to cope up cyber bullying? _________________________________

________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________
i