Cyberbullying—A Shrouded Crime: Experiences of South African Undergraduate Students

Abstract

Crimes in the 21st century using technology as a medium are complex and evolving rapidly. One such crime that is difficult to define is cyberbullying, which extorts an emotional impact on the victim. This qualitative, descriptive case study considers the experiences of 10 undergraduate students regarding what they self-disclosed as cyberbullying. Snowball sampling was used, and the data collected using face-to-face interviews were analyzed using content analysis. The research instrument used was a semi-structured interview schedule. Findings revealed that nine of the participants knew the identity of the bully. Some of the social media platforms used for the cyberbullying included Facebook, Mxit, and WhatsApp, whereby the types of bullying included harassment, flaming, and denigration. Some gender differences were evident in the verbalized emotions of the sample and the support systems the female participants used. This study can serve as a catalyst for further research and interventions for the development of strategies and educational programs to manage this type of bullying.