A quantitative and qualitative approach to analysing cyberbullying in classmates’ whatsapp groups

Abstract

The study is an exploratory research, aimed at examining the extent, characteristics, and expressions of cyberbullying in classmates’ WhatsApp groups among Israeli adolescents and offering a measurement tool of cyberbullying. With the aim of developing rich insights into students’ cyberbullying experiences and ensuring that all expressions of cyberbullying are measured, a mixed methods approach was chosen. Students studying in 4th to 12th grades (N = 1111) completed a combined self-report questionnaire, which included closed and open sections regarding cyberbullying victimization in WhatsApp classmates’ groups. Findings indicated that the vast majority of participants are members in at least one classmates’ WhatsApp groups; 30.7% of participants experience cyberbullying in their WhatsApp groups, and half of them experience more than one type of cyberbullying simultaneously. Findings indicated differences in cyberbullying expressions across the levels of educational institutions.