A Cross-National Perspective of Prejudice-Based Cyberbullying and Cybervictimization ( Chapter IX) International Perspectives on Migration, Bullying, and School

This edited volume consolidates research from 32 countries in order to address the implications of the recent global wave of migration on educational opportunity and assess links between migration and bullying in Europe and further afield.

Using data gathered from the European Commission-funded TRIBES project (Transnational Collaboration on Bullying, Migration, and Integration at School Level), chapters cover first-hand accounts, policy document analysis, and lived experience through comparative themes such as school climate, governmental policy, diversity and inclusion, technology, student voice, and school design to demonstrate how bullying can be understood as a threat to developing inclusive and diverse schools and societies globally. Rooted in a bio-ecological model that recognizes the intersectionality of migrant lives, ultimately this book will advance collaboration between stakeholders to ensure better integration, a reduction in bullying, and better safety and well-being for refugee and migrant students.

Reflecting the truly cross-disciplinary, cross-cultural, and intersectional nature of the volume, this book will be of interest to researchers, scholars, and postgraduate students in migration and education studies, bullying and cyberbullying, and the sociology of education. Policymakers and practitioners in psychology, technology, and youth studies more broadly will also benefit from this book.

Chapter 9: Although much literature has focused on prejudice-based traditional bullying, there are not a lot of studies about prejudice-based cyberbullying. This kind of cyberbullying reflects any form of cyberbullying based on a group affiliation or identity characteristics of the victim, often including historically marginalised and other “protected characteristics” (race, religion, disability, etc.). In this chapter, we focus on seven characteristics that were highlighted in previous research – family origin, skin colour, religion/belief, nationality/ethnicity, disability, poverty, and sexual orientation. We begin by reviewing research into prejudice-based cyberbullying and emphasise the main gaps in the existing knowledge. We then present our empirical findings based on an online study that contributes to filling these gaps: (a) the prevalence of prejudice-based cyberbullying and cybervictimization at the cross-national level, across 17 countries and including culturally diverse samples (N = 5,215 high school students); and (b) the relationships of belonging to some of the marginalised groups (based on sex, nationality/ethnicity, religion, asylum status, and disability) with both prejudice-based cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Finally, we refer to some suggestions for future research and conclude with the implications for prevention programmes based on the obtained results.