Questionnaires

I opted for questionnaires in collecting data regarding learners’ experiences with cyber bullying. Reasons for choosing questionnaires include protecting anonymity of the learners and acting in the best interests of child participants. Although it is important to gather information on cyber bullying, it is a sensitive subject, and learners had to be protected during the study. Convenience was also a factor in choosing this method of data collection, as conducting interviews with so many learners would have been too time-consuming.

511 Lewis, J. and McNaughton Nicholls, C ‘Design issues’ in Ritchie, J., Lewis, J., Mcnaughton Nicholls, C. and Ormston, R. Qualitative research practice 2014 SAGE 47–76 at 52.

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Babbie and Mouton give some guidelines for asking questions,512 and I adhered to

these guidelines when constructing the questionnaires. Although the wording of these guidelines indicates that they apply to quantitative research, they are universal and apply to qualitative questionnaires as well. These guidelines can be summarised as follows:

 Questions and statements – both questions and statements should be used productively in a questionnaire. There should be flexibility in the design of a questionnaire.

 Make items clear – questionnaire items must be clear and unambiguous.

 Avoid double-barrelled questions – do not ask participants to give a single answer to a combination of questions.

 Participants must be competent to answer – ensure that participants can reliably answer the questions. Purposive sampling assists in ensuring this.  Participants must be willing to answer – it is important to obtain consent

beforehand.

 Questions should be relevant – the topic and questions must be relevant to the participants chosen to partake in the study.

 Short items are best – participants should be able to read and understand an item quickly.

 Avoid negative items – including a negation in a question may lead to uncertainty and misinterpretation.

 Avoid biased items and terms.

 Translation – participants must be questioned and must answer in a language they feel comfortable with.

Kumar describes the advantages of questionnaires as being less expensive to administer and offering greater anonymity.513 As already discussed above,

convenience and anonymity were the main reasons for choosing this method of data collection. Disadvantages of questionnaires that were considered and guarded against include limited application, low response rate, self-selecting bias, lack of opportunity to clarify issues, no opportunity for spontaneous responses and the response cannot be

512 Babbie and Mouton (note 498) at 233–239. 513 Kumar (note 67) at 181.

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supplemented with other information.514 Out of the more than three hundred

questionnaires handed out, only 26 were received back with the proper consent. This small sample was not a problem in conducting the research, as data saturation was reached. Data saturation takes places when a point is reached where no new information is emerging from the questionnaires.515 By the third questionnaire that was

evaluated, the answers were repeating themselves.

In order to meet the research objectives to determine the definition, nature and forms of cyber bullying and to investigate the occurrence of cyber bullying in selected South African schools, and how it is dealt with by the schools, I had to gather certain information from learners in schools. Below I explain the information I wanted to obtain, and the questions I asked to meet this objective.

Theme 1: Forms of cyber bullying

1.1 Below you will find a table of different types of cyber bullying. Please indicate whether you belief it is a form of cyber bullying; whether you have been cyber bullied in this manner, or whether you have cyber bullied another learner in this manner.

Type of cyber bullying and definition Do you think this is cyber bullying? Just state yes or no.

Have you ever been bullied in this manner. Just state yes or no.

Have you ever bullied another learner in this manner? Just state yes or no.

Harassment – repeatedly sending nasty, mean and insulting messages.

Flaming – online fights using electronic messages containing angry or vulgar language.

Denigration – ‘dissing’ or disrespecting someone online; sending or posting gossip or rumours about a person to damage his or her reputation or friendships.

Impersonation – pretending to be someone else and sending or posting material to get that person in trouble or damage their reputation.

Outing – sharing someone’s secrets or

514 Id at 181-182. 515 Id at 248.

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embarrassing information or images online. Exclusion – intentionally and cruelly excluding someone.

Cyber Stalking – involves threats of harm or intimidation through repeated online harassment and threats.

Sexting – the sending of nude or semi-nude photos or videos and/or sexually suggestive messages via mobile phone texting or instant messaging.

1.2 Are there any other behaviour not mentioned above that you think is a form of cyber bullying? Please explain.

1.3 Below you will find a table of different types of platforms used for cyber bullying. Please indicate whether you have access to these forms of technology. Please also indicate whether you have been cyber bullied in this manner, or whether you have cyber bullied another learner in this manner.

Type of platform used for cyber bullying Do you have access to this platform? State yes or no

Have you ever been bullied in this manner? State yes or no.

Have you ever bullied another learner in this manner? State yes or no. Is your use of this medium regulated by your parents? State yes or no Is your use of this medium regulated by the school? State yes or no Text messaging Pictures, photo’s or video clips Phone calls e-mail WhatsApp Facebook Chat rooms

Theme 2: Elements of cyber bullying

2.1 In the definition of cyber bullying given above, it states that cyber bullying must be repetitive. Do you think that is correct, or do you think a single action can be an act of cyber bullying?

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2.2 Can you think of an example where a single action may be a form of cyber bullying?

2.3 Sometimes cyber bullies say that they did not know they were hurting another learner, or that they did not mean to hurt that learner. Do you think that should be regarded as a valid excuse for cyber bullying?

2.4 Can you think of an example of cyber bullying where a learner may have been hurt unintentionally?

Theme 3: Cyber bullies and cyber victims.

This theme was divided in two sections. One section was filled in by learners who were victims of cyber bullying, and the other section was filled in by learners who were cyber bullies. Learners who were both cyber bullies and cyber victims were requested to fill in both sections.

Theme 3A: Cyber victims

3.1 Please describe how you have been cyber bullied? 3.2 How many times have you been cyber bullied?

3.3 Does the same cyber bully repeatedly target you, and how often did that happen? 3.4 Is there more than one learner that cyber bullied you at the same time?

3.5 How did it make you feel to be cyber bullied? 3.6 Whom did you tell about the cyber bullying? 3.7 How did that person help you?

3.8 If you indicated that you did not report the cyber bullying, please give reasons why you did not report it.

3.9 What was your response to the cyber bullying?

3.10 How was the cyber bully who bullied you disciplined?

Theme 3B: Cyber bullies

3.1 How many learners have you cyber bullied? 3.2 How often do you cyber bully co-learners?

3.3 Why did you choose to cyber bully another learner? 3.4 How did you cyber bully another learner?

3.5 How did it make you feel to see you have hurt another learner? 3.6 Did anyone else help you in cyber bullying another learner?

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3.7 What were the consequences (how were you disciplined) for cyber bullying another learner?

Theme 4: The unique problems that schools face in the regulation of cyber bullying. 4.1 Do you think it is harder to identify cyber bullies than traditional bullies?

4.2 Do you think a learner who leaves a nasty comment on a Facebook post is a cyber bully?

4.3 Do you think a learner who passes on a nasty image or text message is a cyber bully?

4.4 Does the fact that you can’t escape from being cyber bullied by going home impact on how you feel about the bullying?

4.5 Do you think that educators should protect you from being cyber bullied by another learner even if the bullying does not take place at school?

4.6 What do you think should happen in cases of cyber bullying where the cyber bully did not intend for the message to spread to more than one or two people? 4.7 What would you regard as more embarrassing? When you were physically

attacked or taunted in front of other learners in school, or when another learner posts something on the internet or sends a text message that a lot of other people can see as well?

4.8 What do you do to hide your cyber bullying activities from your parents and educators?

4.9 How do you think a cyber bully is different from a traditional bully?

4.10 Do learners often report cyber bullying, and if not, why do you think that is? 4.11 Can you name the different human rights that cyber bullies are infringing on

when he or she cyber bullies a co-learner?

Theme 5: Regulation of cyber bullying

5.1 Did the school make any information on cyber bullying, the correct use of computers or any other related information available to learners? Can you give examples?

5.2 Has someone ever explained the dangers of cyber bullying to you? Who? 5.3 Where did you first learn about cyber bullying?

5.4 Do you know of any ways to protect yourself against cyber bullying? And where did you learn about it?

149 5.5 To whom should cyber bullying be reported?

5.6 Do you think your school is successfully protecting learners against cyber bullying?

5.7 What transgressions do you think will constitute cyber bullying in your school? 5.8 Who should be held responsible when you are being cyber bullied? Should it be

the bully, the school, your educator, the internet service provider, yourself?