“The Internet Playground: One School’s Experience of Cyberbullying” Susan Ryan Dip. Ed. (Australian Catholic University, Ballarat), B. Ed. (Deakin University), Postgrad. Dip. Ed. St. (Student Welfare) (University of Melbourne), M.Ed. (Research) (University of Melbourne) A thesis submitted in (partial) fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Education in the Faculty of Education at the University of Tasmania April, 2017 Declaration of Originality This thesis does not contain material, which has been accepted for any other degree in any university. To the best of my knowledge and belief, this thesis contains no material previously published or written by any other person, except where due reference is given in the text. Signature: ii Authority of Access This thesis may be made available for loan and limited copying and communication in accordance with the Copyright Act 1968. Signature: iii Statement of Ethical Conduct The research associated with this thesis abides by the international and Australian codes on human and animal experimentation, the guidelines by the Australian Government's Office of the Gene Technology Regulator and the rulings of the Safety, Ethics and Institutional Biosafety Committees of the University. Signature: iv Acknowledgements The research presented in the following pages would not have been possible without the ongoing support of many people. Thank you to the staff and students at the case study school who willingly participated in this research. Your honesty in sharing your experiences of cyberbullying show that this issue is significant and that we must work together to respond to and manage the issue. I am grateful for the ongoing support of my supervisors at University of Tasmania, particularly Associate Professor Karen Swabey, whose positive encouragement over several years was enormously helpful. Thank you also to Dr Jeanne Allen who was a secondary supervisor for the first years of my study, and to Dr Christine Gardner, who has more recently taken over this role and provided some valuable feedback. I thank my family for their encouragement and generosity during the process of this project. Their love and support and unfailing belief in me has definitely cheered me over the line. I could not have made it through this journey without them. I dedicate this work to my father, Dr Charles Albert Anderson, who in life, and since his passing, has continued to inspire me to strive for change. He deserves special recognition for his enduring belief in education and for always encouraging me to question the status quo. He would be proud. v Abstract There is extensive documentation that clearly demonstrates that bullying is a persistent and insidious problem in schools, a matter of ongoing concern for teachers, parents and young people, and one that presents a grave threat to child and adolescent development. In recent years, the emergence of a new form of bullying through the use of technological tools such as mobile phones and online sites such as Facebook, has added to the impact and potential damage caused by and to young people. This study emerged as a result of my involvement in dealing with the human consequences of cyberbullying in a large co-educational secondary college in Tasmania and in response to evidence that both the academic performance and social and psychological development of adolescents who are bullied can be impacted seriously and negatively (Arseneault, Bowes, & Shakoor, 2010; Breguet, 2007; Cross, Lester, & Barnes, 2015; Hawker & Boulton, 2000; Hinduja & Patchin, 2010a; Swearer Napolitano, Espelage, Vaillancourt, & Hymel, 2010). This research is based on the assumption that the issue of bullying does not exist in isolation with the victim and the perpetrator; rather, it is conducted within a much broader social context, which includes peers, family and the larger school community. This study aims to develop a fuller understanding of the nature of cyberbullying during the Middle Years of education, specifically Years 7 and 8, the first two years of secondary schooling in the Tasmanian education system, where both my anecdotal experience and professional learning gave strong support to the view that the issue was particularly pervasive during the Middle Years. Such an understanding is also widely supported by literature (BoysTown, 2010a; Cross et al., 2009; Pepler et al., 2006; Williams & Guerra, 2007), which evidences a peak during these early transition years to secondary school. A large Tasmanian secondary school provided the vi case study setting for the in-depth exploration of this issue for this study, and was an attempt to explore the experience of cyberbullying from the perspective of key individuals, including bystanders, and to fill a void in current research with the involvement of staff members as stakeholders in this issue. The study examined the impact of a relatively new and growing form of bullying – cyberbullying – on two key groups within the case study setting: Middle School students who have newly transitioned to secondary school, and are generally aged 12-14 years, including those who become victims, are perpetrators and bystanders; and Staff including teachers, non-teaching support staff and management staff. It explored the perspectives of key school community members, Middle School students and staff, both teaching and non-teaching, within the wider school setting. Specifically, the research focused on (a) the pervasiveness of cyberbullying in the Middle School, and (b) the perceptions that school staff and students have about cyberbullying. The study also investigated the impact of cyberbullying on members of the school community. Significantly, it explored the role of the bystander as well, as growing emphasis has been placed on the role of bystanders as powerful moderators of behaviour in cyberbullying situations (Ball, 2007; Kraft, 2011; Price et al., 2014). The research technique was a survey conducted with school students and staff. The qualitative and quantitative techniques used aimed to increase understanding and awareness of the impact of cyberbullying on school members by eliciting data on both the perceptions of the frequency and intensity of Middle School cyberbullying, as well as providing a vehicle for respondents to express in narrative form their experiences, concerns and suggested management strategies related to this issue. The findings from this study showed that cyberbullying at this vii case study school was strongly prevalent and has had a considerable impact on educational engagement, student wellbeing and school climate. Cyberbullying affected academic performance within the case study setting, but also had a profound effect on social and psychological wellbeing. A significant concern to emerge was that victims reported suffering from extreme isolation and feelings of hopelessness. This study has also unveiled the damaging psychological impact of cyberbullying on bystanders, both students and staff: they also indicate feelings of distress and uncertainty about how to manage this phenomenon. The results of this study contribute to our understanding of students’ involvement in the occurrence of cyberbullying and provide a foundation for developing prevention and management interventions for educational settings. This study will inform educational practices and contribute to improved management of cyberbullying among adolescents within this and other educational settings. I strongly maintain it is the moral and professional obligation of educators to pursue answers to this phenomenon and to be proactive in the informed and appropriate response to cyberbullying. viii Glossary of Terms Middle Years Years 7 and 8 Indirect aggression which may involve verbal assault, teasing, name calling or social isolation and manipulation Relational or social aggression and this is a common form of bullying by girls, linked to damage to self-esteem The period following the onset of puberty during which a Adolescence young person develops from a child into an adult The process of victimizing others through the use of Cyber-victimisation information and communication technologies The notional environment in which communication over Cyberspace computer networks occurs. Online fights using electronic messages with offensive Flaming language and angry tone Harassment Repeatedly sending insulting and hurtful messages Denigration or ‘dissing’ (an abbreviation of ‘dismissing’ - May include sending or posting rumours or gossip about a frequently used by adolescents in person with the intent of damaging their character Australia Pretending to be someone else and attempting to get that Impersonation person in trouble or damage their relationships Outing Sharing secret information or images online ix Coercing someone into revealing secret information or Trickery images online Deliberately excluding someone from an online group with Exclusion the intent to offend Repeated harassment and denigration that includes threats Cyberstalking or incites fear The phenomenon of hiding behind a screen, thereby Disinhibition diminishing the sense of accountability as fear of being caught is reduced The perspective that individuals act and say things in an Disinhibition effect online medium that they would not normally say or do in face-to-face interactions An individual who was born after the widespread adoption Digital native (cf. digital of digital technology (cf. those who were not born into the foreigner/immigrant) digital world but have, at some later