Effect of Cyberbullying and Sexting on Adolescents in Jordan; Exploratory Research

Abstract

Objective: Bullying of school-aged children is not new and has been well-established as a common and serious problem in society. The aim of the current study is to explore the nature of cyberbullying in a sample of Jordanian adolescents. Method: The study used the quantitative approach and opted for the Delphi Technique, an online survey of adolescents, and an interview-based research approach following with the reviewing of the responses in order to identify the trends and nature of cyberbullying in a sample of Jordanian adolescents. The population sample consists of adolescents from two private schools in Jordan in the Middle East. The combined Adolescents sample of both schools totals approximately 6,000 students. Results: The results of this study reveal that significant numbers of adolescents are sending or receiving sexually explicit photos. The results also suggested that prevalence rates are high in four main categories of cyberbullying. Also, there is a difference in gender and educational level as females are subjected to more incidences of cyberbullying, and 4th grades students have a more significant value of cyberbullying involvement. Conclusion: It is essential to activate the role of the media and education systems in training youths about the risks of cyberbullying to improve adolescent feelings about the value of treating others well and engaging in objective cultural dialogue with them, as well as the strategies for avoiding it.