Adolescents’ Involvement in Cyberbullying: The Importance of Peer Social Interaction

Abstract

—Adolescents are spending increasing amounts of time using internet that has positive and negative effects on young people. One of the great risk of being involved in using internet is cyberbullying, that is an intentional act carried out repeatedly through electronic devices to hurt someone. Cyberbullying behavior among adolescents have been caused by social and peer interaction because their knowledge level about technology is mutually similar one another. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between peers’ social interaction and cyberbullying behavior in adolescents. The method is quantitative study using a correlational design with cross-sectional approach. A total of 92 respondents were found to be having cyberbullying behavior. The results showed cyberbullying behavior of 84 respondents with a low category, peer social interaction behavior as many as 56 respondents. The relationship between peers' social interaction and cyberbullying behavior in adolescents is weak because there are other factors that can influence adolescents behaving cyberbullying in addition. Promotive and preventive action in the form of peer social interaction is able to prevent cyberbullying in adolescents