Sports journalists confronting cyberbullying behavior and proposed solutions

DOI:

In recent years, the phenomenon of cyberbullying has become widespread across the internet and social media platforms. It seeks to harm, damage, and attack others, driven by motives such as revenge, jealousy, and other personal reasons that compel individuals to exploit all means and methods to harm others. Initially, this behavior, also known as "cyber-aggression," was prominent in school environments but has spread due to the excessive and irrational use of modern technology. It is now accessible to people of all ages, making its effects especially harmful for children and adolescents.

Technological advancements and the advent of the internet have deeply impacted many aspects of daily life, leading to serious consequences for individual behavior and interpersonal relationships. This development has also resulted in major changes in the way we communicate, giving rise to new forms of deviant behavior and evolving traditional patterns of misconduct. Modern communication tools and mobile applications have played a major role in spreading these behaviors, particularly among children and young adults, who are the most frequent users of the internet.

Cyberbullying, a form of aggression that originally emerged in schools, has now found a significant presence in the online world. It has transitioned from traditional bullying to cyberbullying, becoming a pressing issue that requires in-depth study and analysis of its causes and effects. Today, media and communication channels dominate our attention, surrounding us at all times and exposing us to the content we watch, hear, and read daily. In the realm of sports, numerous studies have highlighted how sports media can foster violent and aggressive behaviors in their consumers when these platforms are exploited negatively, without regard for legal guidelines. Instead of contributing to social and sports education, raising awareness about the psychological, social, and intellectual benefits of sports, and encouraging widespread participation, these media often propagate violence and aggression through sensational content, focusing on mistakes in sports, provocative statements, and inciting conflict. As a result, they spread values of aggression and bullying among the public. Even those working in the sports field have not been spared from this issue, and it has significantly impacted the work of sports media professionals, causing them to face challenges and difficulties instead of benefiting from the technology that was intended to simplify their work.

• •    From this, the following question arises: How can a sports journalist confront cyber-bullying from the public?

And the sub-questions are as follows:

• •    What is meant by cyberbullying and sports media?

• •    What are the elements, manifestations, and causes of cyberbullying among sports media professionals?

• •    What are the proposed solutions?

Cyberbulling

Definition Of Cyberbullying

Definition of Bullying: A person being repeatedly subjected to negative behaviors over a period of time by one or more individuals.

Abu Al-Ghazali defines it as: "A deliberate and repetitive behavior directed at one or more individuals involving physical harm, verbal abuse, humiliation, or property damage, resulting from an imbalance of power" (Al-Hayari, 2018).

Cyberbullying: The term "cyberbullying" was first coined and defined by Canadian educator and anti-bullying activist Bill Belsey, who described it as: "The use of information and communication technologies to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behavior by an individual or group, with the intention of harming others."

In another definition:

• •    It is an intentional, aggressive act carried out by an individual or group using electronic communication tools in a repeated and continuous manner against an individual or group unable to defend themselves.

• •    It is also defined as the deliberate use of electronic communication tools to inflict harm on a specific individual or group, repeatedly and consistently.

• •    It also refers to the violation an individual faces while online, involving fear, threats, and actions that continuously infringe on others' freedom and privacy (Al-Shammari, 2021).

According to the definitions by Trolli, Hanel, and Leishids: It is the use of electronic communication tools to intentionally cause harm to another party without direct physical contact (Al-Jiachi).

Forms Of Cyberbullying

Willard identifies that cyberbullying manifests in various forms, including:

• •    Hostile Messages: Refers to online confrontations using emails containing angry and vulgar language.

• •    Harassment: Involves sending offensive, degrading, and hurtful messages to the victim via email.

• •    Defamation: Sending false rumors with the intent to damage the victim's reputation.

• •    Impersonation: The cyberbully impersonates the victim or someone else, sending and publishing electronic content to get the victim into trouble or jeopardize their reputation.

• •    Disclosure of Secrets: Involves sharing personal secrets, embarrassing information, or photos over the internet.

• •    Exclusion: The deliberate and cruel act of excluding someone from an online group or community.

• •    • Cyber Harassment: Refers to repeated and intense harassment and defamation that includes threats or causes significant fear, such as hacking the victim's personal account and spreading rumors to the victim's friends, or sharing sexually suggestive images with the implication that they were exchanged with the victim personally, along with the victim's email address and mobile number (Al-Karim, 2021).

Causes Of Cyberbullying

The causes of cyberbullying can be attributed to several factors, including individual aspects related to both the bully and the victim. For the bully, they may turn to violence as a way of coping with stress and anxiety due to a lack of self-confidence. On the other hand, the victim’s lack of self-confidence makes them more likely to be targeted, as they may be unable to defend themselves.

Family upbringing and parenting style also play a significant role. Lenient parenting, the failure to discipline children for their mistakes, indecision in decision-making, and disagreement between parents on methods of reward and punishment can lead to inconsistent household rules. Furthermore, harsh parenting, including physical

punishment, can contribute to the development of bullying behaviors in children, especially in school environments.

The educational level of parents also impacts the prevalence of cyberbullying. Studies have shown that lower educational levels of parents negatively affect their children's behavior at school, whether they are bullies or victims.

Schools also play a role in the spread of cyberbullying. Students and adolescents are often more active and energetic than others, and this energy should be channeled into positive activities that help develop their life and technical skills. Research has shown that a school environment that lacks activities to utilize students' free time and meet their psychological and social needs leads to students resorting to violence as a means of releasing negative emotions and psychological stress.

The influence of bad company and the desire for students to belong to specific peer groups also affects their behavior.

Additionally, violent scenes, particularly in professional wrestling and violent films, promote these behaviors, increasing the sense of power and heroism in individuals.

Lastly, video games and computer games that depict violence, shootings, and explosions also contribute to the rise of violence in schools, including bullying and cyberbullying. (Al-Karim, 2021).

Characteristics of the nully, the victim, and cyberbullying methods

Characteristics of the bully and the victim

The bully

Here, we outline some definitions that describe the bully from different perspectives. A bully is defined as "a person who repeatedly engages in actions against victims who are unable to defend themselves. This behavior can have serious negative consequences, especially for the victims over time."

It is also described as "a person who repeatedly targets another person in an organized manner, using either direct (physical) or indirect aggression. Bullies are typically older, larger, and physically stronger than their victims." The bully is characterized by the following traits:

• •    Power: Often derived from age, size, or gender.

• •    Intentional harm: The bully finds satisfaction in scolding or attempting to control the victim and escalates their actions when the victim shows discomfort.

• •    Duration and severity: Bullying lasts over a long period and becomes more intense with time.

Bullies are classified into two types:

• •    Aggressive bullies: These are the more prominent types, typically confident, impulsive, cruel, and strong. They believe aggression is the only way to maintain their power and resolve conflicts.

• •    Passive bullies: These individuals reinforce aggressive bullies’ behavior and begin actively participating after bullying occurs. They rarely initiate aggression on their own and are extremely loyal to the bullies (Boumachta, 2021).

The victim

There are various definitions of a victim, and here we mention some of them. A victim of bullying is "a person who is repeatedly harassed or insulted by someone more powerful." It is also described as "a person whose psychological and social abilities prevent them from responding positively in situations where they are harmed or abused by others." The victim of bullying is characterized by the following traits:

• •    Vulnerability: The victim is easily deceived, unable to defend themselves, and has physical and psychological traits that make them more likely to be targeted.

• •    Lack of support: The victim feels isolated and weak and may avoid reporting bullying for fear of retaliation from the bully.

• •    Low self-esteem: The victim feels a sense of failure and lacks self-confidence.

• •    A tendency to isolate themselves and difficulty forming friendships or relationships with peers. Victims of bullying are classified into two types:

• •    Passive victims: These are the majority of bullying victims, who show high levels of fear, anxiety, and caution. They do not provoke others and fail to defend themselves. They tend to withdraw, cry, and give up.

• •    Provocative victims: These are a minority compared to passive victims. They tend to have a sharp temperament, are curious, show high levels of anxiety, and will seek revenge if attacked (Boumachta, 2021).

Cyberbullying methods

Cyberbullying is an extension of traditional bullying in terms of its forms, types, and motives, but the key differences arise from the increased use of computers and the internet, as well as the cultural context in which these technologies are applied. (Despite this, cyberbullying employs various methods that allow the bully to harm the victim without direct confrontation. These methods include the following:

• •    Phone calls, either through the phone or online, designed to intimidate the victim through insults, slander, and threats.

• •    Text messages, typically involving threats to expose secrets, create scandals, or attempt blackmail.

• •    Photos and videos, where the bully takes personal pictures and videos that the victim may have shared with friends.

• •    Email, where the victim may receive a malicious message. Upon clicking the link, the bully can gain access to the victim's email, including personal messages, data, and conversations.

• •    Web chat rooms, where the bully communicates directly with the victim from a fake account, attempting to harm them or hack into their personal account.

• •    Deceptive web links, where the bully shares attention-grabbing content, and when the victim clicks on it, the bully can post inappropriate news and images on the victim’s page. (Boumachta, 2021).