Defining Cyberbullying: a Multifaceted Definition Based on the Perspectives of Emerging Adults

The aim of this qualitative study was to address the lack of consensus on the current cyberbullying definition and the limited research on definitions of cyberbullying made by emerging adults in Australia. Six focus groups were conducted with a total of 39 participants aged 18 to 25 years. The focus groups used a semi-structured question protocol to gain a deeper understanding of emerging adults’ perceptions, observations, and opinions related to cyberbullying. A thematic analysis revealed that participants perceive cyberbullying to be an extension of traditional bullying comprising similar key components (i.e., intent to harm, repetition, and power imbalance). However, despite a consensus on the components involved, the operationalization of these key components differed among participants depending on whether they adopted a perpetrator, target, or bystander perspective. The current study extends on previous research by focusing on the different perspectives of cyberbullying (i.e., perpetrators, targets, and bystanders) rather than assuming a single perspective, and in turn integrating these perspectives to propose a multifaceted definition of cyberbullying.