Defining Cyberbullying as a Social Problem: A Look at the Canadian Mainstream Media

Abstract

Despite extensive studies on cyberbullying over the past 20 years, the definition, causes, and potential solutions for this matter are still under discussion. In my research, I conducted a qualitative analysis of 183 Canadian news articles from 2003 to 2021. I intended to investigate how the phenomenon of cyberbullying has been depicted in Canadian news articles over the past 20 years. Three main themes emerged from the data. First, the construction of cyberbullying changes depending on the different actors that are involved in the discussions. Second, the cause of cyberbullying tends to be viewed as a lack of moral standards, which attributes the responsibilities of cyberbullying to individuals, especially parents, schools, bullies and the victims. Furthermore, the debate on whether to create a cyberbullying law highlights the irreconcilable tension between social control and freedom of expression, which indirectly hints at the importance of individual responsibility in dealing with cyberbullying.