Insulting, Spreading Rumors and Denigrating in Virtual Space: Measurement Model for the Attitudes Towards Cyberbullying of Students

Abstract

Cyberbullying is a challenge in times of social media. This paper poses the following two questions: (1) How can attitudes towards cyberbullying be empirically measured, and (2) what attitudes do students show towards cyberbullying. Two samples serve to answer these research questions: the first survey is part of the IEA study ICILS in Switzerland (national module) which includes eighth grade students. The second survey derives from a study carried out in Eastern Switzerland with young people from age 11 to 16. Construct validity of a newly developed instrument for measuring students’ attitudes towards cyberbullying is presented in this paper. Both data sets confirm a theoretically justified g-factor model. The results show that a clear majority of students is opposed to cyberbullying.