UNDERSTANDING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WHO SELF-IDENTIFY AS CYBERBULLIES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY by Christine L. Osborne Liberty University A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University 2018 2 UNDERSTANDING THE LIVED EXPERIENCES OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS WHO SELF-IDENTIFY AS CYBERBULLIES: A PHENOMENOLOGICAL STUDY by Christine L. Osborne A Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Education Liberty University, Lynchburg, VA 2018 APPROVED BY: Dr. Kenneth R. Tierce, Ed.D., Committee Chair Dr. Kelly Paynter, Ed.D., Committee Member Dr. Kathi Vanderbilt, Ph.D., Committee Member 3 ABSTRACT The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to understand the experiences of university students, aged 18 to 50, in a suburban Atlanta university who have self-identified as perpetrators of cyberbullying. The three research questions that guided this study sought to determine how students perceive their cyberbullying behavior impacts their peers, how students explain their motivation to cyberbully their peers, and how their experiences led to perpetrating acts of cyberbullying. Experiences were examined that may be contributing factors for cyberbullying. Bandura’s social cognitive theory and the concept of moral disengagement of cyberbullies was examined through the research questions as well. This study utilized 11 participants, identified through purposive sampling, and a qualitative, phenomenological design to understand the experiences of a cyberbully. Participant interviews, focus groups, and participant reflection journals were used to collect data from university students and high school guidance counselors. The data were analyzed utilizing Moustakas’ seven steps to organizing and analyzing the collected data. Trustworthiness was established through member checking, peer review, and persistent observation. Keywords: bullying, bully-victim, cyber aggression, cyberbullying, cyber harassment. 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication This manuscript is dedicated to the memory of my late father, Robert William Vavra, Jr. You were my hero and my inspiration. Because of you, I aspired to make an impact as an educator - this doctoral degree is dedicated to you. 6 Acknowledgments I would like to acknowledge my family for their love and support during this incredible journey. Thank you to my husband Terry, who has always believed in me; to my children who had to fend for themselves so many times because mom was doing schoolwork; and to my mother, Cathy, who has always been my biggest supporter. Dr. Kenneth Tierce, my dissertation chair, I thank you for guiding me through this journey – I never would have finished without you. Finally, to my committee members, Dr. Paynter and Dr. Vanderbilt – thank you for your wisdom and patience with me through this long process. 7 Table of Contents ABSTRACT .....................................................................................................................................3 Copyright Page.....................................................................................................................4 Dedication ............................................................................................................................5 Acknowledgments................................................................................................................6 List of Tables .....................................................................................................................12 List of Abbreviations .........................................................................................................13 CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................14 Overview ............................................................................................................................14 Background ........................................................................................................................14 Historical Contexts.................................................................................................15 Social Contexts ......................................................................................................16 Theoretical Contexts ..............................................................................................17 Situation to Self..................................................................................................................18 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................18 Purpose Statement ..............................................................................................................19 Significance of the Study ...................................................................................................19 Research Questions ............................................................................................................21 Definitions..........................................................................................................................21 Summary ............................................................................................................................22 CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW ................................................................................24 Overview ............................................................................................................................24 Theoretical Framework ......................................................................................................25 8 Social Cognitive Theory ........................................................................................25 Theory of Bullying .................................................................................................26 Related Literature...............................................................................................................27 Cyberbullying vs. Traditional Bullying .................................................................28 Cyberbullying Nuances ..........................................................................................37 Managing Cyberbullying .......................................................................................45 Summary ............................................................................................................................54 CHAPTER THREE: METHODS ..................................................................................................56 Overview ............................................................................................................................56 Design ................................................................................................................................56 Research Questions ............................................................................................................58 Setting ................................................................................................................................58 Participants .........................................................................................................................59 Procedures ..........................................................................................................................60 The Researcher's Role ........................................................................................................62 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................63 Interviews ...............................................................................................................64 Focus Groups .........................................................................................................67 Journals ..................................................................................................................69 Data Analysis .....................................................................................................................70 Coding ....................................................................................................................71 Memoing…………………………………………………………………………71 Textural Description ..............................................................................................72 9 Structural Description……………………………………………………………72 Composite Description...........................................................................................73 Trustworthiness ..................................................................................................................73 Credibility ..............................................................................................................73 Dependability and Confirmability .........................................................................74 Transferability ........................................................................................................75 Ethical Considerations .......................................................................................................76 Summary ............................................................................................................................77 CHAPTER FOUR: FINDINGS