Wael Yousef

Date Approved

10-27-2011

Degree Type

Campus Only Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department or School

College of Technology

Committee Member

Alphonso Bellamy, Ph.D., Chair

Committee Member

Philip Cardon, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Daniel Fields, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Ronald Flowers, Ph.D.

Abstract

With the onset of the Internet and Smartphones entered cyber bullying, which is prevalent among teenagers. Cyber bullying is defined as “the willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices” (Hinduja & Patchin, 2009, p. 5).

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which Arab American students and other ethnic groups in middle and high school experience cyber bullying, and the extent to which cyber bullying relates to self-esteem and academic functioning. The study further explored the extent to which gender, grade level, ethnicity, and emotional intelligence moderate these relationships.

The population of this study consisted of 1,152 middle and high school students, grades 6 through 12 from four different schools in Wayne County, Michigan. These schools represented different ethnic groups, such as Arab Americans, African Americans, Hispanic, and White.

The researcher used two research methodologies. Descriptive analysis included demographics, mean scores, standard deviations, and frequency distributions. Correlational analysis included the results from four Scales, Cyber Bullying, Self- Esteem, Emotional Intelligence, and Impairment of Academic Functioning. The study also explored ten research questions using descriptive and correlational analysis to examine cyber bullying behavior and its relationship to self-esteem and academic functioning.

The Cyber Bullying Scale revealed that there is significant cyber bullying activity in the schools that were surveyed. The Self-Esteem Scale revealed that, if the cyber bullying experience for the cyber bully or cyber bully victim increased, self-esteem decreased. The Emotional Intelligence Scale revealed as a moderator a negative effect on self-esteem when emotional intelligence was low. The Impact on Career and Educational Functioning Scale revealed a positive correlation between cyber-bullying victimization outside of school and academic functioning. Frequency calculations from this study indicate that cyber bullying continues to increase since calculations were reported in earlier research.

Further research is needed on cyber bullying along with precise intervention and prevention strategies.

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Updated: 05/24/13

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