Hershey, Pennsylvania
New York, New YorkBeijing, China
The Meaning, Prevalence, and Outcomes of Cyberbullying in the Workplace

The Meaning, Prevalence, and Outcomes of Cyberbullying in the Workplace

Robin M. Kowalski (Clemson University, USA) and Chelsea E. Robbins (Clemson University, USA)
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 22
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-5594-4.ch057
OnDemand:
(Individual Chapters)
Available
$37.50
Current Special Offers
No Current Special Offers
TOTAL SAVINGS: $37.50

Abstract

The increased reliance on information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the workplace, while producing many positive outcomes, may also expose workers to cyberbullying. To date, much of the extant research on cyberbullying has focused on middle and high school youth; however, cyberbullying is not limited to a particular age demographic or setting. Unlike face-to-face workplace bullying, workplace cyberbullying may be brought into the workplace or carried home from the workplace. The current chapter defines cyberbullying, including how it differs from related constructs such as cyber incivility and cyber aggression. The chapter then reports prevalence rates of workplace cyberbullying, followed by a discussion of antecedents and consequences of cyberbullying exposure. Prevention and intervention goals in the workplace are also discussed as employers are now being tasked with tackling this issue in the workplace.
Chapter Preview
Top

Conceptualizing Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is defined by Peter Smith and his colleagues (Smith et al., 2008) as “an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself” (p. 376; see also Kofoed & Staksrud, 2019; Smith, 2015). Conceptualized in this way, the parallels of cyberbullying to traditional bullying are readily apparent, as Olweus (1993; 2013) has defined traditional bullying as a repetitive act of aggression that is intended to cause harm or distress, and that occurs among individuals whose relationship reflects a power imbalance. A meta-analysis of cyberbullying found moderate relationships between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Specifically, a correlation of .45 was observed between the frequency of perpetrating traditional bullying and perpetrating cyberbullying; similarly, a correlation of .40 was obtained between traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization (Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014).

Complete Chapter List

Search this Book:
Reset