Factors Affecting Cyberbullying Behavior: A Case Study of Students at Burapha University

Abstract

The objectives of this research are to (1) to investigate cyberbullying behaviors among undergraduate students of Burapha University and (2) to examine effects of those behaviors on the students. The study sample consisted of 400 undergraduate students of Burapha University, Bangsaen Campus. Results showed that 93.25% of the study sample was aware of cyberbullying, 69.25% of whom was female, 98% was under the age of 25, 36.50% of the sample was first-year undergraduate students, and 48.75% spent more than eight hours in cyberspace. The 58.25% majority of the sample was humanities and social science students, followed by science and technology students (23.75%) and health science students (18%).

Regarding cyberbullying behaviors among the students, results showed that the students’ attitudes towards the overall cyberbullying behaviors were at the lowest level. With regard to factors affecting the cyberbullying behaviors of the students, results revealed latent variables of attitudes towards yberbullying which consisted of two indices, i.e. attitudes towards cyberbullying and attitudes towards effects of cyberbullying. Two indices of subjective norms were beliefs and motivations influenced by the reference group.

Using the empirical data collected from 400 Burapha University students, correlation analysis results of casual relational model of factors affecting the students’ cyberbullying behaviors showed that there was a positive correlation between the model and the empirical data. It can be concluded that intention of cyberbullying affected the cyberbullying behaviors, and attitudes toward cyberbullying and the influence of the reference group had effects on the cyberbullying behaviors through intention.