Cyberbullying is an intricate and ever-evolving form of bullying. Little is known about how cyberbullying is perpetrated at the collegiate level. Applying a General Strain Theory framework, the current study aims to assess the role of six university-related strain elements as possible predictors for cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and frequency of the two. Survey questionnaires were administered to 15 undergraduate classes at a southeastern university (N = 406). Additionally, the moderating role of internet anonymity on these relationships is addressed. Being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship and being placed on probation are identified as significant predictors of cybervictimization and frequency of cybervictimization. Personal academic shortcomings and being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship are found to be significant predictors of cyberbullying frequency. Anonymity is established as negatively associated with the frequency of cyberbullying and cybervictimization, but its effect as a moderator is limited, at most.
","abstract_html":"<p>Cyberbullying is an intricate and ever-evolving form of bullying. Little is known about how cyberbullying is perpetrated at the collegiate level. Applying a General Strain Theory framework, the current study aims to assess the role of six university-related strain elements as possible predictors for cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and frequency of the two. Survey questionnaires were administered to 15 undergraduate classes at a southeastern university (N = 406). Additionally, the moderating role of internet anonymity on these relationships is addressed. Being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship and being placed on probation are identified as significant predictors of cybervictimization and frequency of cybervictimization. Personal academic shortcomings and being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship are found to be significant predictors of cyberbullying frequency. Anonymity is established as negatively associated with the frequency of cyberbullying and cybervictimization, but its effect as a moderator is limited, at most.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Sanchez, Matheson T"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"Sociology and Criminal Justice","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Gang Lee","Christopher Totten","Rebecca Petersen"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2016,"date_issued":"2016-03-24T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2016-03-24T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:09Z","subjects":["Cyberbullying","Strain Theory","College Students","Anonymity","Criminology","Social Psychology and Interaction","Sociology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mscj_etd/3","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Gang Lee","Christopher Totten","Rebecca Petersen"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Sanchez, Matheson T"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2018-04-29T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Sociology and Criminal Justice"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Cyberbullying","Strain Theory","College Students","Anonymity","Criminology","Social Psychology and Interaction","Sociology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mscj_etd/3"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Cyberbullying is an intricate and ever-evolving form of bullying. Little is known about how cyberbullying is perpetrated at the collegiate level. Applying a General Strain Theory framework, the current study aims to assess the role of six university-related strain elements as possible predictors for cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and frequency of the two. Survey questionnaires were administered to 15 undergraduate classes at a southeastern university (N = 406). Additionally, the moderating role of internet anonymity on these relationships is addressed. Being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship and being placed on probation are identified as significant predictors of cybervictimization and frequency of cybervictimization. Personal academic shortcomings and being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship are found to be significant predictors of cyberbullying frequency. Anonymity is established as negatively associated with the frequency of cyberbullying and cybervictimization, but its effect as a moderator is limited, at most.
"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Cyberbullying, General Strain Theory, and the Moderating Effect of Anonymity in College Students"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Gang Lee","Christopher Totten","Rebecca Petersen"],"dc:creator":["Sanchez, Matheson T"],"dc:date.available":["2018-04-29T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Cyberbullying is an intricate and ever-evolving form of bullying. Little is known about how cyberbullying is perpetrated at the collegiate level. Applying a General Strain Theory framework, the current study aims to assess the role of six university-related strain elements as possible predictors for cyberbullying, cybervictimization, and frequency of the two. Survey questionnaires were administered to 15 undergraduate classes at a southeastern university (N = 406). Additionally, the moderating role of internet anonymity on these relationships is addressed. Being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship and being placed on probation are identified as significant predictors of cybervictimization and frequency of cybervictimization. Personal academic shortcomings and being threatened with losing or actually losing a scholarship are found to be significant predictors of cyberbullying frequency. Anonymity is established as negatively associated with the frequency of cyberbullying and cybervictimization, but its effect as a moderator is limited, at most.
"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/mscj_etd/3"],"dc:subject":["Cyberbullying","Strain Theory","College Students","Anonymity","Criminology","Social Psychology and Interaction","Sociology"],"dc:title":["Cyberbullying, General Strain Theory, and the Moderating Effect of Anonymity in College Students"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Sociology and Criminal Justice"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:43:09Z"}