Definition and Measurement of Cyberbullying

The main goal of the present study was to improve the conceptual understanding of cyberbullying by empirically comparing the number of identified bullies and cyberbullies based on two measurement methods (global vs. specific items) and two cut off scores (lenient vs. strict). 1150 students (48% girls) aged 10 to 15 (M = 12.39, SD = 1.16) years were examined via self assessments. The number of cyberbullies was systematically underestimated when using a global item compared with three specific items indicating that the global cyberbullying item did not fully cover the behaviors described by the three specific cyberbullying items. Only 73 students (6.3%) were identified as occasional cyberbullies and 18 (1.6%) as frequent cyberbullies using the global item, while 186 students (16.2%) were identified as occasional cyberbullies and 87 (7.6%) as frequent cyberbullies using the specific items assessment. Controlling for traditional bullying, only 12 students (1%) remained pure occasional cyberbullies and only six students (0.5%) remained pure frequent cyberbullies when using the global item. According to the specific items assessment, 59 students (5.1%) remained pure occasional cyberbullies and 56 (4.9%) remained pure frequent cyberbullies. Thus, a distinct cyberbully group could only be identified when using a specific items assessment. Irrespective of measurement method and cut off scores, combined bullies (students being both cyberbullies and bullies) showed higher levels in overt and relational aggression compared with bullies and non bullies. Girls expressed higher levels of overt aggression than boys when they were identified as frequent combined bullies.