Alamr, Badr
(2024)
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?
PhD thesis, 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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