Cyberbullying: Definitions and facts from a psychosocial perspective

Abstract

We are now living in the Gutenberg Galaxy, which has completely changed our lives, especially in the case of youths. Adolescents increasingly use social networks, like Twitter or Facebook, where self-presentation plays an essential role (personal data, photos, etc.). However, some people use such information and photos to harm others, either as a joke or for other purposes. Therefore, despite positive Internet features, cyberspace exposes young people to many online risks among cyberbullying stands out given the negative consequences of these interactions. In this chapter, we analyze this new form of aggressive behaviorthrough electronic communication, especially among adolescents. In the next pages we review the definition of cyberbullying, the similarities and differences between bullying and cyberbullying, the different ways to prevent cyberbullying, and we include a social psychology perspective on cyberbullying.