Computer-based communication and cyberbullying involvement in the sample of Arab teenagers

The use of the internet among teenagers has increased in recent years and nearly 92 % of all teenagers in Israel surf the internet. This study examined the characteristics of involvement in cyberbullying among 114 adolescents in the Muslim Arab sector, and its relationships with emotional aspects. The students completed questionnaires regarding cyberbullying and face-to-face bullying, loneliness and anxiety. Results show that more students experience cyberbullying (82 %) than face-to-face bullying (42 %). The students who were cyber victims reported higher levels of loneliness and anxiety. No gender differences were found. The development of intervention programs is recommended in order to raise awareness, equip students with the appropriate tools to cope effectively with cyberbullying, and allocate resources to reduce and eventually prevent this phenomenon.

The current study (Heiman & Olenik-Shemesh, 2015) demonstrates a high level of cyber victims experience compared to face-to-face victims. with a significant and positive association between the two types of bullying behavior. The findings reveal that cyberbullying is associated with various social, behavioral and emotional problems. As such, most of the students involved in cyberbullying reported being hurt by embarrassing sexual remarks (over 90 %) concerning their appearance, and felt cyberbullied due to insulting rumors. Moreover, positive correlations were found between cyber victimization and face-to-face victimization. the findings reveal significant relationships between victims of cyberbullying and social-emotional aspects; as such, adolescent cyber victims's reported high levels of loneliness and lower social support predicted their vulnerability