The Empirical Status of Cyberbullying Research

Abstract

Empirical investigation into the topic of cyberbullying among adolescents has exploded in the last few years. Despite this expanded attention, inconsistencies in definitions, methodologies, and samples obfuscate any meaningful conclusions that could be drawn. The current project seeks to build on two earlier efforts in 2010 and 2013 to collect, review, and synthesize all of the empirical research that has been published regarding cyberbullying, with a particular focus on comparing and contrasting research that has been done outside of the United States. Scholarly inquiry into the issue of cyberbullying in the United States has generally outpaced other countries, though it is clear that important work is being done abroad. This study seeks to evaluate the attributes of quantitative studies conducted abroad to determine relevant differences that might be useful for researchers studying this problem in the U.S.