Abstract
The increased reliance on information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the workplace, while producing many positive outcomes, may also expose workers to cyberbullying. To date, much of the extant research on cyberbullying has focused on middle and high school youth; however, cyberbullying is not limited to a particular age demographic or setting. Unlike face-to-face workplace bullying, workplace cyberbullying may be brought into the workplace or carried home from the workplace. The current chapter defines cyberbullying, including how it differs from related constructs such as cyber incivility and cyber aggression. The chapter then reports prevalence rates of workplace cyberbullying, followed by a discussion of antecedents and consequences of cyberbullying exposure. Prevention and intervention goals in the workplace are also discussed as employers are now being tasked with tackling this issue in the workplace.
TopConceptualizing Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying is defined by Peter Smith and his colleagues (Smith et al., 2008) as “an aggressive, intentional act carried out by a group or individual, using electronic forms of contact, repeatedly and over time against a victim who cannot easily defend him or herself” (p. 376; see also Kofoed & Staksrud, 2019; Smith, 2015). Conceptualized in this way, the parallels of cyberbullying to traditional bullying are readily apparent, as Olweus (1993; 2013) has defined traditional bullying as a repetitive act of aggression that is intended to cause harm or distress, and that occurs among individuals whose relationship reflects a power imbalance. A meta-analysis of cyberbullying found moderate relationships between traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Specifically, a correlation of .45 was observed between the frequency of perpetrating traditional bullying and perpetrating cyberbullying; similarly, a correlation of .40 was obtained between traditional bullying victimization and cyberbullying victimization (Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014).
Key Terms in this Chapter
Workplace Cyberbullying: Cyberbullying that occurs at the workplace, or that begins outside the workplace but is carried over into the workplace.
Workplace Bullying: Face-to-face bullying that occurs at work during the workday.
Olweus: A leading researcher in the area of traditional bullying.
Bullying: Intentional aggressive acts that are repeated over time and that occur among individuals whose relationship reflects an unequal playing field.
Cyberincivility: Rude interpersonal behaviors that occur through the use of information and communication technologies.
Cyberbullying: Bullying that occurs through the use of information and communication technologies, most notably the internet and cellular phones.
Cyberdeviance: Misbehavior occurring through information and communication technologies.
Incivility: Rude interpersonal behaviors.