Cyberbullying: conceptual, theoretical and methodological issues

Starting from literature on online risks for the young generation, this chapter provides a comparison between cyberbullying and other concepts and typologies in the field (e.g., electronic aggression and traditional bullying). The definition and meaning of the three criteria associated with traditional bullying (i.e., intentional harm, repetition over time, and power imbalance between the victim and the perpetrator) will be discussed as they relate to the cyberbullying context. Criteria that are often reported as specific to the cyber context (i.e. anonymity and publicity) are also reviewed for their specific meaning and for their relation to the three characteristics of traditional bullying. Findings (Menesini et al. 2012) highlight consistencies regarding the relevance of intentionality and power imbalance when labelling an attack as cyberbullying, whereas other aspects such as repetition, anonymity, and publicity of the action seem more relevant to connote the seriousness of the attack. Final considerations related to methodological implications and findings on the prevalence and intervention on this problem are also reported.