EXPLORING PARENTS’ EXPERIENCES TO CHILD CYBERBULLYING: EVIDENCE FROM PENINSULA MALAYSIA
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.35631/IJEPC.1164078Keywords:
Cyberbullying, Digital Safety, Parental MonitoringAbstract
The increasing use of digital devices and online platforms among children has created new opportunities for learning and social interaction, but it has also increased the exposure to cyberbullying. While previous studies have largely focused on the prevalence and consequences of cyberbullying, less attention has been given to parents’ real-life experiences in responding to incidents involving their children. Therefore, this study explores how parents experience and deal with cyberbullying in Peninsular Malaysia. Using a qualitative theory approach, the data were collected through in-depth interviews with parents from diverse backgrounds. The findings show that children experienced several forms of cyberbullying, particularly denigration, harassment, and social exclusion, which affected their emotional and behavioural well-being. Parents primarily adopt communication-based strategies even though many face challenges when engaging with institutional support such as schools and authorities. These findings highlight the importance of strengthening parental support and developing a more structured digital parenting framework to help parents respond effectively to child cyberbullying.
Downloads
References
Agastya, A. S. L., Putri, A. K., & Ma’rufah, N. (2019). Cyberbullying and its impact on mental health among college students. Journal of Health and Behavioral Science, 1(3), 164–175.
Baturay, M. H., & Toker, S. (2019). Internet addiction among college students: Some causes and effects. Education and Information Technologies, 24(5), 2863–2885. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10639-019-09956-1
Bauman, S. (2015). Types of Cyberbullying. Cyberbullying: What Counselors Need to Know, 53–58. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119221685.ch4
Burns, M., Bally, J., Burles, M., Holtslander, L., & Peacock, S. (2022). Constructivist Grounded Theory or Interpretive Phenomenology? Methodological Choices Within Specific Study Contexts. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 21. https://doi.org/10.1177/16094069221077758
Charmaraman, L., Hodes, J. S., & Richer, A. M. (2020). Young adolescent social media use, and its association with social isolation and psychological well-being. Journal of Media Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1027/1864-1105/a000262
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (2008). Facilitating optimal motivation and psychological well-being across life's domains. Canadian Psychology/Psychologie canadienne, 49(1), 14–23. https://doi.org/10.1037/0708-5591.49.1.14
Dehue, F., Bolman, C., & Völlink, T. (2008). Cyberbullying: Youngsters' experiences and parental perception. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 11(2), 217–223. https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2007.0008
Klonick, K. (2016). Re-shaming the debate: Social norms, shame, and regulation in an internet age. Maryland Law Review, 75(4), 1029–1066. https://digitalcommons.law.umaryland.edu/mlr/vol75/iss4/3.
Larson, S. (2024, September 5). Most popular apps | Downloads, Users & Stats 2024. Priori Data. https://prioridata.com/data/most-popular-apps/
Michael, A. S., Sani, M. N. M., & Sani, M. S. M. (2021). The impact of cyberbullying on the mental health of adolescents: A systematic review. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 11(12).
Olweus, D. (1988). Bully/victim problems among schoolchildren: Basic facts and effects of a school based intervention program. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Patchin, J. W., & Hinduja, S. (2023). Cyberbullying identification, prevention, and response. Cyberbullying Research Center.
Pervin, N., & Mokhtar, M. (2022). The interpretivist research paradigm: A subjective notion of a social context. International Journal of Academic Research in Progressive Education and Development, 11(2), 419–428. https://doi.org/10.6007/IJARPED/v11- i2/12938
Samsudin, E. Z., Yaacob, S. S., Wee, C. X., Ruzlin, A. N. M., Azzani, M., Jamil, A. T., Muzaini, K., Ibrahim, K., Suddin, L. S., Selamat, M. I., Saman, M. S. A., Abdullah, N. N., Ismail, N., Yasin, S. M., Azhar, Z. I., Ismail, Z., Isa, M. R., & Mohamad, M. (2023). Prevalence of cyberbullying victimisation and its association with family dysfunction, health behaviour and psychological distress among young adults in urban Selangor, Malaysia: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open, 13(11), e072801. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-072801
Saruddin, M. Z., Azman, A. Z. F., Zulkefli, N. A. M., & Isa, M. R. (2025). Prevalence of cyberbullying and its associated factors among high school students in Klang District Malaysia. Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences, 21(3), 220–231. https://doi.org/10.47836/mjmhs.21.3.
Siraj, S., Abd Rozan, M. Z., & Salam, S. N. A. (2015). Digital world and its impact on the youth: A review of globalization and connectivity. Journal of Information Systems Research and Innovation (JISRI), 9(1), 1–10.
Tsuno, K., Kawakami, N., Inoue, A., & Abe, K. (2005). Measuring social exclusion and its impact on mental health: A population-based study. Social Science & Medicine, 61(6), 1345–1351. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2005.01.018
