Pre-service teachers’ perceptions about identifying, managing and preventing cyberbullying

Cyberbullying uses technology to deliberately and repeatedly humiliate, harass, or threaten someone with the intention to cause reputational damage, harm, or intimidation. It is a widespread issue that impacts teaching and learning in schools, as well as in the larger community. Cyberbullying has garnered much attention in schools, social media, and also from researchers. Within teacher education programs, how are we preparing pre-service teachers to have the knowledge and skills to identify, manage, and prevent cyberbullying. This paper explores pre-service teachers’ beliefs and perceptions of cyberbullying, drawing on data from online discussions, Archived online discussions were analyzed, using a constant comparison method. Pre-service teachers’ perceptions and concerns about identifying, managing and preventing cyberbullying are discussed. The paper concludes with three implications for teacher education