Investigating the Implications of Cyberbullying for Students at Howard Campus, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Although bullying still occurs regularly, the young people of today are experiencing a new form of bullying that is made possible by technologically advanced devices such as cellular phones and the Internet. Ready access to free e-mail services, such as Hotmail and Yahoo, allows a person who cyberbullies another to communicate with the victim using multiple identities and multiple e-mail addresses. This article investigates the implications of cyberbullying for tertiary students, with a particular focus on students enrolled at the Howard Campus. The researchers used an interpretive qualitative approach to gather information from ten participants who were registered at this university. It was found that victims experienced low self-esteem, suicidal thoughts, and a variety of other negative emotional responses that affected their academic performance. The participants recommended that a cyber-security policy be introduced at the university.
Keywords: Criminology; Cyberbullying; Cybercrime; Internet; Victims