School Counselors' Views on Cyberbullying : A Qualitative Study of School Counselors' Experiences and Work Against Cyberbullying

Cyberbullying is a phenomenon that is increasing as more children and young people use social media. This phenomenon affects the mental and physical well-being of children and young people. Previous research addresses the school's and school counselor’s responsibility for the preventive and health-promoting work around cyberbullying. The purpose of the thesis is to study how school counselors in primary and secondary schools experience cyberbullying, as well as how they work with cyberbullying and what preventive and remedial measures are taken in cases of cyberbullying. The theoretical basis of the study is partly Lipsky’s (1980) theory of space for action (discretion) and Brante's (2009) professional theory. The empirical material of the study was collected through four qualitative semi-structured interviews with school counselors which were then analyzed thematically to be reported. A literature review was also carried with the aim to find relevant research and current knowledge bases related to the area. The results of the study highlight that school counselors work with cyberbullying in much the same way as traditional bullying. Three themes that were highlighted extra when it came to the preventive work against cyberbullying were relationship building, legislation and information. However, school counselors highlight that it is more difficult to detect if students are exposed to cyberbullying because it is not possible to see cyberbullying in the physical reality. School counselors also believe that the consequences of cyberbullying can be more problematic than the consequences of traditional bullying. All interviewees also highlight that this phenomenon is something that should be given more attention in schools and in general