Cyberbullying controls in Murdoch University – A practical review of policies and ICT systems.
CONTENTS
1 Abstract
Australian universities have so far managed to provide information to their students on how to combat cyberbullying while on the internet. It has also been established that the information available until now has not been sufficient to help curb this vice entirely from Murdoch University. Most researchers have managed to come up with ideas on how to weed out this atrocity, but up to date, more content is still required. However, the failure of Australian universities to follow up on the policies and the inability of students to report incidents of cyberbullying only lessen the effectiveness of the set guidelines. Therefore, this research seeks to investigate the prevalence of cyberbullying among Australian youths, particularly university students. Selected students will be interviewed via mails to offer insight on the issue and shed light on the steps taken by universities to mitigate the problem and protect victims.
2 Introduction
The internet and new technologies are playing a significant role in the lives of people globally and are even changing how people relate to each other, positively and negatively. Among the negative aspects of technology is the harassment of other people online, also known as cyberbullying. Typically, cyberbullying is committed through electronic devices like wireless telephone, computer phones, and online using images, texts, sound, or messages.
Cyberbullying is a significant problem and is characterized by deliberately threatening, ridiculing, intimidating, and harassing an individual or a group of people, causing constant fear of harm. It also happens when intimate partners take intimate, sexually explicit, video footage, near-nude or nude photographs of both or one party. When the relationship ends, one party may distribute the images to others to denigrate the reputation or humiliate the other person. For children, cyberbullying can be solved by close monitoring and support from teachers and parents to solve the issue before it blows out of proportion. The case is similar for adults, who should also report cyberbullying as soon as it begins for quick action to be taken. Still, while much research into cyberbullying covers students in primary and high schools in Australia, there is limited research or studies that cover cyberbullying among the adult population that attend universities. The aim of this research, therefore, will be to critically analyze cyberbullying in Australian Murdoch University and its impact on victims. The study also aims to critically analyze Murdoch University’s existing cyberbullying policy and ICT systems to determine if they can adequately control this critical problem.
3 Literature Review
There has been much action and research on cyberbullying in schools, particularly universities in the past 20 years, most suggesting that cyberbullying in Australian society is on the rise [1]. As earlier explained in the introduction, cyberbullying is mostly done through electronic means such as phones, computers, and other devices that access the internet. Cyberbullying causes significant emotional and psychological distress to victims. Some of these psychological distress includes fear, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression. The research project aims to examine the extent to which The Australian Murdoch University has managed to implement policies to help combat cyberbullying. According to data obtained from the ABS on Australian levels of bullying in universities, bullying has been known to cause substantial impacts on victims, perpetrators, and also witnesses.
The Australian education Authorities 2019 and the Australian Human Rights Commission 2012 say that 7 out of 10 school going university students have experienced bullying like behaviour either at home, school or via online platforms within the past years. The ABS also reports that cyberbullying among adults aged 18 years and above has been on the rise with most perpetrators of this heinous crime remaining at large. Cyberbullying can be done using various forums, including instant messaging, social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, forums or chat rooms, websites, videos, or pictures taken via mobile phones, and text messaging [2]. Additionally, the act of cyberbullying is not limited to sending insulting or hurtful messages. Still, it also covers creating a fake profile to humiliate or hurt a victim, as well as revealing personal or confidential information about someone.
Furthermore, research by Pryce and Frederickson [6] reveals that the majority of cyberbullies in Australia create several identities, also referred to as typologies that address the different roles that the perpetrators take in connection with cyberbullying. Besides, past studies also reveal a worrying pattern regarding cyberbullying, which is that the majority of victims indicate that the perpetrators are people close to the individuals, making the realization a big shock to many, including family and friends. Hinduja et al. [5] attribute the rise of cyberbullying to the rapid technological move from email to virtual worlds and the ever-changing social networking sites. Much literature suggests that young people and adults in Australia and globally think differently about the offline and online world, which could explain the increasing rate of cyberbullying in Australia. For instance, in one study conducted by Sherer and Nickerson [7], young Australians in high school defined cyber-bullying as bullying using technology and bullying over the internet. This means that most young Australians may not view unwanted text messages or calls as cyberbullying and may fail to report them.
Currently, in Australia, the highest reported cases of cyberbullying lies between 15 to 20 years, meaning that the majority of people experiencing cyberbullying are young people in universities [4]. Many past researchers suggest that incidents of cyberbullying increase as children enter into adulthood. This means that it is plausible the trend gets worse in universities [3]. This is especially important and can cause a significant amount of stress because it occurs at a vulnerable and sensitive period in the lives of young people, just as the individuals are developing and learning their sexual identities, as well as starting to engage in romantic relationships. Therefore, cyberbullying is a big problem in Australian society, primarily because the majority of university students are likely to make unwise decisions, which could make the individuals exposed and open to potential cyberbullies.
Many studies have offered detailed analyses of the general effect of cyberbullying on the health, emotional, mental, and social problems for both the perpetrator and the victim [3]. Generally, adverse outcomes of cyberbullying on victims include loneliness, insecurity, and anxiety, which are common. Research conducted by Kokkinos et al. [2] on cyberbullying on young Australians noted that fear of social interactions, anxiety, low self-esteem, and depression are some of the effects of cyberbullying. Victimized children are likely to have concentration problems, and some go as far as avoiding school.
Concerning university students, Pryce and Frederickson [6] indicate that victims of cyberbullying have lower self-worth and scholastic achievement than non-bullied students. Evidence also showed that bullying is a potential cause of violence at universities and is also a significant threat to the development of students. Victimization also has a solid link to suicidal ideation, mental health concerns, maladjustment, and feelings of low self-esteem, which can ultimately affect the development and performance of university students not only in Australia but also in other nations [6].
Such findings offer clear revelations that cyberbullying poses a real and significant danger to the physical, as well as the mental health of youths in Australia. Besides, [2] and [5] in their research discovered that the method of cyberbullying method could determine the level of impact on the victim, with university students regarding the use of video clips or pictures as more severe because of the potentially broad viewing online audience. In the university environment, cyberbullying can cause social damage on a wide scale. Failure to manage it can also make victims become perpetrators to seek and get revenge. Murdoch University (MU) has developed a cyberbullying policy that contains several aspects, such as bullying, harassment, and discrimination. The university management has made it clear that it is the right of every student to ensure they are treated fairly and with respect. From the University’s site, bullying involves the use of abusive, insulting, and offensive language. Harassment can happen when one makes sexual advances against one’s will. The university management further stresses on discrimination which can occur through the race, sex, religion, disability, age, appearance, and family lifestyle. The administration says that it is the right of every student to ensure such discrimination is not perpetuated towards them within and outside the school environment. Additionally, MU has implemented some protections as a part of the ICT infrastructure and systems. What is currently unclear is whether these policies and systems represent best practices for controlling or eliminating cyberbullying in our environment.
At Murdoch Universities, there are several actions that the University has taken to control and discourage cyberbullying within the university premises. This research stud will aim to carry out an investigative study to establish if the anti-bullying policies enacted by the university management have been effective in curtailing the spread of this vice within and outside university precedents. Various studies have proved that not many students will come forward and report cyberbullying due to the fear that the aggressor will retaliate and expose whatever the aggressor is holding against the victim [1]. Another way the University is discouraging cyberbullying is discouraging students from sharing sensitive and personal information with people they do not trust completely, as well as logging out from accounts when using computers at the University.
One method adopted by many universities globally that should also be implemented by Murdoch University globally is the development of policies that both parents and students are required to sign, whereby consequences for inappropriate behaviour are spelled out clearly. For social media organizations, most are held liable for the security of personal information and data of customers, making it critical to develop robust security measures that would prevent a breach of consumer data. Such efforts include encouraging customers to create strong passwords, as well as offering options for reporting and blocking unwanted messages and users from accessing and viewing personal information that is uploaded online.
4 Research Question
The in-depth research will aim to offer credible answers to this research question:
- What is the existing relationship between cyberbullying frequency and the health of youths in Australia Murdoch University?
To investigate critical aspects of this research question, the following hypotheses will be examined:
H1 # 1: That the existing cyberbullying policies and protocols in Australia Murdoch University are effectively aligned to best practices.
H1 # 2: Existing ICT systems and infrastructure utilized by Australian Murdoch University can be used to control cyberbullying effectively.
These hypotheses will be investigated by assessing controls applied in other universities and organizations, to determine whether Murdoch’s existing systems and policies align with best practices. Where apparent shortfalls are identified, the proposed paper will make recommendations that can assist Murdoch University to enhance these controls.
5 Methodology
5.1 Data Collection
To enable the researcher to collect the required information which will be first hand and reliable, the researcher came up with the following methods to help in organizing the most sought piece of data which was, after careful analysis, provided the much-needed framework on how the administrators at Murdoch University have managed to control cyberbullying among students and the general University community. Some of them include reviewing Murdoch university policies and identifying existing ICT systems – collecting this through the assessment of existing documents and systems and interviewing stakeholders. By doing this, enough data will be collected from existing records found within the university databases and files stored in various administrative units within the University. After reviewing the policies laid down by the University, it was established bullying happens mostly to international students studying in Australian Universities. This technique was chosen because most students had reported various cases of cyberbullying to the University authorities, and little was done to alleviate that. Documents obtained will provide crucial data on the number of victims who have gone through such and how each case was handled. Secondly, the research aims to collect data by reviewing policies, practices, and systems implemented in other universities that are recognized as apply best practices in limiting cyberbullying. The best practices from other universities will be borrowed and integrated into the already existing Murdoch’s University anti-bullying policies and practices. Any hitch or loophole in implementation will be sealed and solutions sought on time. Once the best practices have been borrowed, the management will manage to combat and seal any deficiency in the implementation of the policies. Thirdly, the researcher will also gather information by reviewing policies, practices, and systems implemented by other organizations, such as social media companies to identify broader best practices. Social media companies such as Facebook have, for a long time, managed to come up with better community standards where victims of cyberbullying can report such incidences. The existing laws in a particular country where the case has been reported can take effect. Facebook communicates most of this information to the administrative unit in charge in the country where the bullying has been reported
5.2 Data Analysis
The collected data will then be analyzed carefully using qualitative methods, which will be used to understand and analyze the collected descriptive statistics together with all the open-ended questions. Murdoch University highly discourages cyberbullying, which is evident in the various measures the University has implemented or taken to protect students from cyberbullying. The University has implemented strong anti-bullying policies and also encourages students to report incidents of cyberbullying to the administration. Aside from that, students are encouraged not to share personal information that can later be used to bully someone. This has ensured that students are aware that the University does not condone cyberbullying, which in turn has been effective in protecting vulnerable students from cyberbullying. Looking at the third option which says that the University will borrow best practices from other universities and other social media company owners, both parents and students are to sign anti-bullying policies paper because they are all held liable for the actions of the student. Aside from that, the move by organizations such as Facebook to encourage customers to create strong passwords is also better than merely developing policies because customers and students become aware of the importance of protecting personal data.
Therefore, some data collection methods that Murdoch University can make fair use of to discourage cyberbullying is to implement pre-service teacher education to ensure teachers that understand the online environment and how it operates are well placed to support students that are going through cyberbullying. Moreover, the University can consider the strategy of banning mobile phones on its premises to lower cyberbullying. Aside from that, the Australian government can invoke civil laws when victims come to the courts to seek punishment for the aggressors. Therefore, in order to have an in-depth understanding of the problem of cyberbullying in Australia, as well as the opinions of students regarding the matter, the collected data and information will be carefully analyzed and will be free from biases. Besides, the findings will assist readers, the Australian government, and IT companies to have an in-depth understanding of how the mental health of Australian youths is being affected by the internet and IT devices that are being used to bully people and develop mitigation measures.
6 Project Timeline
In carrying out this research process, specific guidelines were issued on what undertakings were to be done at a particular given time and the tasks involved. The study began with having a meeting with all the supervisors engaged in the research. A proposal was formulated, and later one submitted to the relevant authorities. The researcher, later on, came up with methods to aid in the collection of data, and a literature review is done. Later on, a case study analysis was performed, and then the data collected was analyzed, and interpretations are made. Once this was through, the project was reviewed, and final touches are done to complete the project before handing it over to the relevant authorities. The following shows the phased and systematic approach that the study followed;
- Supervisor meeting involving all concerned stakeholders in the study research
- Submission of the proposal to the relevant authorities
- Collection of all required data from Murdoch University within and outside
- Carrying out a literature review that involved previous studies in the same field
- Data analysis and interpretation of the collected information
- Reviewing the whole project
- Finalizing the whole project
- Submission of the project results to the relevant authorities.
Below is a chart offering a detailed description of the time, steps, and duration of the research.
7 Conclusion
Conclusively, this research seeks to unravel the relationship that exists between Murdoch University administration and the policies laid down by them to help combat the effects of cyberbullying on their students within and outside the university premises. Enough data was collected from the University and comparisons made by looking at other practices done in different institutions and how they handle cyberbullying. The research project will go a long way to help in alleviating this vice from Murdoch University now and in future.
8 References
[1] Australian Bureau of Statistics. Internet and mobile phones (cat. no. 1370.0). 2012. Retrieved from http://www.abs.gov.au
[2] C. M. Kokkinos., N. Antoniadou and A. Markos. Cyber-bullying: An investigation of the psychological profile of university student participants. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, 35(3), 204–214. 2014. Retrieved from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appdev.2014.04.001
[3] E. M. Selkie., R. Kota., Y. F. Chan, and M. Moreno. Cyberbullying, depression, and problem alcohol use in female college students: a multisite study. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. Vol. 18, 79–86. 2015. Retrieved from: DOI: 10.1089/cyber.2014.0371
[4] H. Cowie. Cyberbullying and its impact on young people’s emotional health and well-being. The Psychiatrist, 37, 167-170. 2013. Retrieved from: DOI:10.1192/pb.bp.112.040840
[5] S. Hinduja and J. W. Patchin. Bullying, cyberbullying, and suicide. Archives of SuicideResearch, 14, 206- 221. 2010. Retrieved from: DOI:10.1080/13811118.2010.494133
[6] S. Pryce, S and N. Frederickson. Bullying behaviour, intentions and classroom ecology.Learning Environments Research, 16, 183-199. 2013. Retrieved from: DOI:10.1007/s10984-013-9137-7
[7] Y. C. Sherer, and A. B. Nickerson. Anti-bullying practices in American schools: Perspectives of school psychologists. Psychology in the Schools, 47, 217-229. 2010. Retrieved from: DOI:10.1002/pits.20466