To what extent does the presence of anonymity contribute to the fluctuations observed in cyberbullying behaviours demonstrated by students in higher education institutions in Saudi Arabia?
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Date
2024-04
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University of Nottingham
Abstract
Rapid improvements in technology, particularly in the communications industry, have caused a major
evolution in the way individuals make contact, socialise and interact with one another. Unquestionably,
these improvements have also had negative impact. Social media has contributed to the world by
allowing the transfer of social communication from the real world into the virtual world. It should be
acknowledged that social media has a great deal of benefit for individuals. The ease of social media use
has helped individuals to connect with wider audiences anytime and anywhere. However, advancements
in and features of social media can also lead to harmful effects, such as cyberbullying, which is the
focus of this research. Bullying is a social issue in the real world that has shifted into cyberspace under
the name ‘cyberbullying’
. Previous research on cyberbullying has developed an understanding of such
a problem, with some gaps that still need to be addressed. The overall research aim was to develop an
understanding of cyberbullying causes in higher education students in Saudi Arabia. It should be taken
into consideration that after this research started, universities moved their activities completely online
because of Covid-19. This can motivate such research, as cyber-related work is likely to become
increasingly important when working from home becomes the new normal.
This research addresses three key gaps. First, the age gap is addressed, since the cyberbullying research
field has focused intensively on younger age groups rather than university students. Second, the
population gap is addressed, as very few cyberbullying studies have been conducted in the Saudi
Arabian context. There are many social media users in the country, so this research aims to explore a
new culture. Third, the research field gap is explored; previous cyberbullying studies have tended to
overlook the factor of technology when exploring cyberbullying and lack a standardised theoretical
approach with which to unify inconsistent results. To address these gaps, the social media cyberbullying
model (SMCBM) developed by Lowry et al. (2016) was used. This model was modified based on
Akers’ (2009) theory of social learning and social structure (SSSL). The original SSSL model was
adopted from the criminology field, while the developed SMCBM model was contextualised to fit
cyberspace, adding the information technology artefacts of anonymity and social structure. Testing such a model can contribute to the field of cyberbullying. This model was tested via a
questionnaire sent to 414 Saudi university students, from University of Hail, who have been involved
in cyberbullying. Moreover, to explain some results and obtain a profound understanding of particular
parts of the questionnaire, it was followed by interviews with 10 students. Based on the questionnaire
and interview findings, the results of this research support the SMCBM. Anonymity contributed to the
social learning variables of cyberbullying through social media, thus encouraging the frequency of
cyberbullying. There were notable findings related to the perception of the cost of cyberbullying, and
the situational morality of cyberbullying, among the sample. As for the cost, the participants seemed to
consider the consequences of cyberbullying, due to the religious background of the sample, as well as
the enforcement of internet crime laws and cyberbullying campaigns by public authorities in Saudi
Arabia. As a result, the sample demonstrated a stringent attitude towards cyberbullying, likely
influenced by an increased awareness of its potential repercussions. As for the situational morality, in
addition to conventional explanations such as revenge and attention-seeking, the research uncovered a
different perspective, revealing a prevailing belief among participants that cyberbullying served a
greater purpose in defending ethics, religion, and traditions, which reflects a nuanced situational
morality among the respondents. The research results have some indications with regard to
cyberbullying. Most importantly, some suggestions are provided for universities to minimise bullying
in the online learning process.
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Keywords
Cyberbullying, anonymity, cybercrime, Cybersecurity, online ethics, cyber bullying