Cyberbullying: Exploring the Experiences of the Youth in the Ayawaso-West Municipality

Abstract

This study explores the experiences of young persons who have become victims of cyberbullying in the Ayawaso-West Municipality of Accra, Ghana. The aims of the research were to find out the forms of cyberbullying experienced by the youth, how it affected them, their coping strategies and the reporting mechanisms available to them. The study used a qualitative, phenomenological approach, and involved individual in-depth interviews with Twenty (20) young persons and one key informant from the Cyber Security Authority of Ghana. The study was guided by the Integrated Model of Victimisation as its theoretical base. The findings of the study revealed that young persons in Accra experienced the various forms of cyberbullying that exist and that the lack of awareness of the cyberbullying phenomenon persists, as most of the victims did not know that what they experienced at the time was cyberbullying. Females were also more likely to face harassment related to their private videos or photos being distributed online without their consent than their male counterparts. Cyberbullying affects youths negatively mentally, physically, emotionally and psychologically, academically and socially. Young people adopt several ways to cope with the issue of cyberbullying either through technological or social support and parents and school authorities are not seen as reliable available reporting mechanisms for youth who experience cyberbullying.