A Qualitative Case Study on Secondary Educators’ Perceptions and Practices in Cyber-Bullying Incidents

In today’s society, adolescents experience an increased access to technology. However, access to digital media has both negative and positive aspects. One negative characteristic is cyber-bullying, the harassment of others through the use of electronic devices. The problem addressed in this multiple case study was that cyber-bullying is a prevalent issue in secondary schools, and teachers need to be confident when using campus protocol to control cyber-bullying behavior and maintain a safe learning environment for all students. While an increase in cyber-bullying awareness is evident, research is lacking to help provide schools with a proactive method to combat cyber-bullying. Thus, the purpose of this multiple case study was to investigate the effectiveness of cyber-bullying protocol in Southeast Texas school districts through the perceptions of teachers who handle cyber-bullying in the middle and high school classrooms. The participants were 15 middle and high school teachers in two school districts in Southeast Texas. The primary method for data collection in this study was 60 to 90 minute interviews via web conferencing. All data was transcribed, coded, then categorized into to themes that summarized the content. From the two research questions, four themes emerged. The results found that teachers did not know their school districts’ policies and procedures in cyber-bullying incidences. Finally, teachers indicted that more hands-on professional development would help them to identify what cyber-bullying looks like. Based on the findings, recommendations are for school districts to provide professional development for faculty and staff that is more engaging to help them identify and manage cyber-bullying as well as offer student support. Future research could include qualitative research at the secondary level to further explore and better understand school districts’ involvement in the reduction of cyber-bullying. Keywords: cyberbullying, case study, middle school, high school, professional developmen