ISSN 2078-9823 (Print), ISSN 2587-7879 (Online)

DOI: 10.15507/2078-9823.065.024.202401.080-090

Аleksandr A. Somkin

National Research Ogarev Mordovia State University (Russia, Saransk),

e-mail: alexsomkin@mail.ru

 

Cyberbullying in Modern Society: basic features and varieties

 

Abstract

Introduction. The expansion of the use of information and communication technologies into the modern social fabric significantly expands the opportunities for personal growth and intellectual development. This becomes especially important in adolescence, where inclusion in Internet communication has already turned into the crucial component of socialization in this age group. And if for adults the Internet is mostly a means of communication or work, not replacing the real world and human relations, then for schoolchildren it is a significant part of their lives. There they communicate, learn, make friends, love and even hate. The last aspect is of growing concern to specialists all over the planet, as well as to parents and teachers.

Materials and Methods. The research material was grounded on the researches of practicing psychologists and teachers studying the bullying and cyberbullying issues among adolescent schoolchildren. The main methods used in the preparation of the manuscript were comparative approach, methods of analysis and generalization.

Results. The article shows how the tendencies of virtualization of traditional forms of communication have caused changes in the ways of organizing bullying among modern adolescent schoolchildren. The key characteristics of Internet communication, which include anonymity, high psychological traumatism, lack of control over the situation on the side of a victim, multimedia and multiplicative impact, indirectness in the absence of feedback, etc., are defined and supplemented. A definition of cyberbullying as a special type of bullying based on repeated and deliberate psychologically aggressive actions, anonymously carried out by an individual or a group using ICT and aimed at achieving significant negative socio-psychological consequences for the victim is proposed. A list of cyberbullying types that is the most complete is provided, which includes such varieties as harassment, cyberstalking and cybertrolling, outing, griffing, sexting, flaming and others.

Discussion and Conclusion. It is evident that stopping scientific and technological progress is impossible, and it is not a point. Giving up on Internet communication as a convenient and perfect means of social development is not an option. At the same time, it is important to remember that the Internet is, first and foremost, a tool that should be used without harming other people.

Keywords: cyberbullying, teenagers, society, Internet communication, safety, victim, psychological trauma.

For citation: Somkin A. A. Cyberbullying in Modern Society: basic features and varieties. Gumanitarian: aktual’nye problemy gumanitarnoi nauki i obrazovaniia = Russian Journal of the Humanities. 2024; 24(1): 80–90. (In Russ.). DOI: 10.15507/2078-9823.065.024.202401.080-090.

 

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