A thematic analysis of adolescents’ perceptions of cyberbullying and cyberaggression: definitional distinctions and educational gaps

To explore how adolescents perceive and understand the concepts of cyberbullying and cyberaggression.

Focus Groups: Three focus groups were conducted with 18 adolescents (aged 14-15) who used social media.
Data Analysis: Reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyze the data and explore common themes.

Adolescents found it difficult to differentiate between cyberbullying and cyberaggression.
Participants expressed dissatisfaction with outdated cyber-based education.
Barriers and concerns regarding reporting incidents in school were identified.
Adolescents' perceptions were influenced by narratives of blame and responsibility.

Adolescents' conceptualizations of cyberbullying do not align with academic definitions.

The study's sample size was limited to 18 adolescents.
Focus groups may not capture the full range of adolescent experiences and views.

Adopting the broader construct of cyberaggression may provide a clearer framework for research and intervention.