Cyber Harassment and Quality of Life1
Communications technology clearly has an impact on students and their well-being. Smartphones have become all-in-one devices that combine the functions of a mobile phone with those of a computer, providing online access 24/7. The technology has also provi
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10. CYBER HARASSMENT AND QUALITY OF LIFE1
INTRODUCTION
Communications technology clearly has an impact on students and their well-being. Smartphones have become all-in-one devices that combine the functions of a mobile phone with those of a computer, providing online access 24/7. The technology has also provided a new platform for bullying to take place. In this study, we analyse how students in grades 4 to 10 at five schools in the city of Tromsø in Northern Norway (N = 878) replied to a questionnaire on harassment, bullying and quality of life. The response rate was 66.5%. The questionnaire comprised three distinct measurement tools; KINDLR (Jozefiak, Larsson, Wichstrom, Mattejat, & RavensSieberer, 2008; Ravens-Sieberer & Bullinger, 2000) which measures children’s quality in life (QoL); and a traditional and cyberbullying questionnaire. The aim of the study was to investigate two different aspects of peer harassment; classical and cyber, in order to determine whether these different forms of bullying differ between genders, ages or QoL. We employ the term classical bullying to refer to the “traditional” types of bullying (mobbing in Norwegian) with which we are familiar in schools, and as established by Olweus and subsequently by Roland. This is to differentiate between classical bullying, which takes place in everyday life, and cyberbullying, which occurs online, and/or via e.g. mobile phones. We use different terms to describe specific negative acts: harassment, victimization, teasing, or abuse (Arora, 1994; Kowalski, Limber, & Agatston, 2012; Mynard & Joseph, 2000; Rønning, Handegaard, & Sourander, 2004; Peter K. Smith, Cowie, Olafsson, & Liefooghe, 2002). We will call this harassment; this term thus refers to specific acts, in accordance with Rønning and Smith. BACKGROUND
Traditional Harassment and Bullying In Norway, research has focused on harassment and bullying for about 30–40 years, during which time Olweus and Roland have contributed a great deal to the study of bullying. The research interest in the field of bullying evolved in Scandinavia in the sixties and seventies (Heinemann, 1973; Olweus, 1978). Bullying is commonly E. Elstad (Ed.), Digital Expectations and Experiences in Education, 163–182. © 2016 Sense Publishers. All rights reserved.
S. THORVALDSEN et al.
regarded a subcategory of aggression. Olweus defined bullying in the following terms: 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 student. (Olweus, 1993:9) Olweus (2013) emphasizes three criteria in bullying, namely; intentional negative acts, committed repeatedly and over time, and involving a certain imbalance of power and strength. He also expands the definition and includes specific forms of bullying, such as saying mean and hurtful things, ignoring or excluding, hitting, telling lies and spreading false rumours. On the other hand, Monks and Smith (2006) point out that not all researchers agree on this definition of bullying. Some ma
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