Conceptualizing Causative Factors of Workplace Cyberbullying on Working Women

Introduction

Conceptualizing cyberbullying in the context of working women is gaining attention across the world (O'Neill & Dinh, 2013), and the technology, structure, technical infrastructure, and the physical proximity are inducing cyberbullying amongst women (Ybarra, Mitchell, Wolak, & Finkelhor, 2006). Workplace cyberbullying is common and it is evolving in subtle ways that makes it difficult to explain (Callaghan, Kelly, & Molcho, 2014). According to the National Crime Prevention Council (NCP) of the U.S., cyberbullying is understood as perpetrators using digital modes like the Internet, cell phones, or other digital devices to send or post text or messages to hurt or embarrass another person (Baynes, 2018, p. 138). The act of workplace cyberbullying is an act of aggression, or an act, which is intentional to harm a group or an individual, using electronic forms of contact repeatedly overtime against a victim (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2007, pp. 319-336). According to the Department of Education and Mental Health, workplace cyberbullying is an act of unwanted physical or verbal aggression inflicted by the perpetrator on the victim, that goes repeated for a long time, and it also involves an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim (Hinduja & Patchin, 2007, p. 89-112; National Children's Home, 2005). Workplace cyberbullying is also characterized by the bully using their higher social status over the victim to exert power to hurt (Ybarra & Mitchell, 2007), harass, name-call, gossip, spreading out rumours, threats or other forms of intimidation to the victim in the workplace (Duggan, 2017). In the case of workplace cyberbullying on women, it is increasing phenomenally in the digital age, wherein the mobile phones, social media platforms, and use of digital platforms to threaten through emails, or blogs over the Internet (Kowalski & Limber, 2007). Workplace cyberbullying on women can also be understood as a situation, wherein over a period, a woman employee is purposely and repeatedly subjected to negative actions like bullying or harassing women. The act usually happens by verbally, or digitally abusing them through gadgets or e-platforms (e.g, phone, email, web sites and social media) related to their work (Farley, Coyne, Sprigg, Axtell, & Subramanian, 2016), because of this situation, the working women face difficulty in defending themselves against these actions and feel embarrassed and are broken psychologically (Farley, Coyne, Sprigg, Axtell, & Subramanian, 2016).