Ethnic-based cyberbullying: The role of adolescents’ and their peers’ attitudes towards immigrants

Year 2021, Volume: 10 Issue: 2, 139 - 156, 30.04.2021

Derya Atalan Ergin , Gülendam Akgül , Neslihan Güney Karaman

https://doi.org/10.19128/turje.879347

Cited By: 3

Abstract

The rate of migration has increased in Turkey in recent years. The school setting is the most important area for socialization and acculturation for immigrant adolescents. It is also the place where they might be exposed to negative attitudes and behaviors from their peers. Immigrant adolescents are at risk of experiencing ethnic-based cyberbullying; however, the research on its causes was limited despite the growing numbers of immigrant adolescents. We examined (a) the predictive role of adolescents' and their peers' attitudes toward immigrant adolescents’ ethnic-based cyberbullying behaviors and (b) whether the immigrant background of the cyber victim affects adolescents' reasoning about cyberbullying toward immigrants. To address the research questions, we used a mixed-method design. The sample included 139 participants (X̄age=13.16, SD=0.94) who attended two different secondary schools in Ankara. We found that both adolescents' and their peers' negative attitudes predicted ethnic-based cyberbullying. However, a positive attitude toward immigrants was not found to be related to ethnic-based cyberbullying. Qualitative analysis results regarding ethnic discrimination were interpreted within the framework of behavioral privacy. The present study highlighted that immigrant students are more likely to be cyber victimized in the presence of a negative attitude toward immigrants at the class level.

Keywords

Attitude toward immigrants, Ethnic-based cyberbullying, Immigrant students, Peer attitude toward immigrants

Etnik temelli siber zorbalık: Ergenlerin ve akranlarının göçmenlere yönelik tutumlarının rolü

Abstract

Türkiye’de göç oranları son yıllarda artmaktadır. Okul ortamları göçmen çocuk ve ergenlerin sosyalleşme ve kültürleşme süreçlerinde önemlidir. Ancak göçmenler okullarda zorbalık ve ayrımcılık gibi olumsuz tutum ve davranışlara da maruz kalabilmektedir. Göçmen ergenler etnik temelli siber zorbalığa maruz kalma riski altındadır. Ancak göçmen ergenlerin artan sayılarına rağmen siber zorbalığın nedenlerine ilişkin çalışmaların sınırlı olduğu görülmektedir. Bu çalışmada a) ergenlerin ve akranlarının göçmen ergenlere yönelik tutumlarının etnik temelli siber zorbalık davranışlarındaki yordayıcı rolü ve (b) siber mağdurun göçmen olmasının ergenlerin göçmenlere yönelik siber zorbalık davranışında bir neden olup olmadığı incelenmiştir. Araştırma sorularının incelenmesinde karma desen yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın örneklemi Ankara’da iki farklı ortaokulda öğrenim gören 139 ergenden (X̄yaş=13,16, SS=0,94) oluşmaktadır. Bulgular hem ergenin hem de akranının göçmenlere yönelik olumsuz tutumunun etnik temelli siber zorbalığı yordadığını göstermiştir. Ancak, göçmelere yönelik pozitif tutum etnik temelli siber zorbalıkla ilişkili bulunmamıştır. Etnik ayrımcılığa yönelik nitel analiz sonuçları davranışsal gizlilik çerçevesinde yorumlanmıştır. Çalışmanın sonuçları okul ortamında göçmenlere yönelik olumsuz tutumların göçmen öğrencilerin siber zorbalık davranışına maruz kalma ihtimallerini arttırdığını göstermiştir.

Keywords

Akranların göçmenlere yönelik tutumu, Etnik temelli siber zorbalık, Göçmenlere yönelik tutum, Göçmen öğrenciler

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