College students' perceptions of cyberbullying on a nontraditional campus: An assessment of victims and witnesses

Cyberbullying is a 21st century problem that affects many youths throughout their educational careers, continuing for some even into adulthood. We know that cyberbullying may persist from junior high and high school to college life. Due to this sequential effect, it is imperative to concentrate our efforts on the relationship between cyberbullying and college-level populations; specifically, cyberbullying perceptions among college students. Drawing from a sample of students from a nontraditional university in the southern United States, we compare how prior victims and bystanders of cyberbullying perceive the severity of cyberbullying. We find that females, victims of cyberbullying, and bystanders of cyberbullying are more likely to perceive cyberbullying as a severe problem compared to males, individuals who have not been victimized by cyberbullying, and those who have not witnessed a cyberbullying incident. Our findings have implications for policies and bully-prevention strategies.