Abstracts Category : Other

The silence phenomenon an exploration of the factors influencing Irish gifted adolescents resistance to report their experiences of cyberbullying behaviour

by Justin P Connolly

Whilst non-reporting response amongst adolescents who have experienced either traditional bullying or cyberbullying is widely acknowledged in the literature, the reasons for such non-reporting remains undetermined and require further research. Successful intervention and prevention of bullying incidents is to a large degree dependent on such incidents being reported to an adult caregiver. However, early research shows that adolescents who have experienced cyberbullying tend not to inform parents or teachers, despite having previously stated their intention to do so should they experience such behaviour. Despite this fact, little attention has been paid to understanding the factors underlying adolescent reporting resistance.The aim of this study was to explore Irish gifted adolescents resistance to reporting their experiences of cyberbullying behaviour. A qualitative design was selected as most appropriate for this study. To that end, three focus group interviews comprising 59 participants were conducted using a sample of gifted adolescents. Participants were drawn from those attending the Centre for Talented Youth (Ireland) and comprised male and female adolescents aged between 13 and 17 years. The findings indicate differences in interpretation regarding what constitutes cyberbullying. The key reasons for adolescent non-reporting were identified. These include the framing of decisions and the influence of prior reporting of experiences to adults, as well as the influence of gender and age on reporting response. The focus group interviews provided depth of contextualisation for the reasons for non-reporting, as well as providing insight into the impact of cyberbullying on female adolescents and the ways in which adolescents more generally respond to cyberbullying experiences.The study results provide insights that will assist parents, teachers, and all those involved in the formulation of anti-bullying school policies in their attempts to increase adolescent reporting and thereby counter cyberbullying behaviourAdvisors/Committee Members: Matthews, Anne, Husssey, Pamela.