Research Ethics on Cyber Bullying

The article explores the ethical considerations in research on cyber bullying, including participant vulnerability and confidentiality. It discusses the risks of cyber bullying and provides suggestions for minimizing these risks. The study emphasizes the importance of protecting participants' personal information and promoting awareness about cyber bullying.

Running head: RESEARCH ETHICS ON CYBER BULLYING 1
Research Ethics with Cyber bullying
Student’s Name
Affiliation
Word Count (1513)

RESEARCH ETHICS ON CYBER BULLYING 2
Research Ethics on Cyber bullying
Introduction
The growing an improvement in technology has led to other negative activities such as
cyberbullying where the bullying happens by thee means I of electronic communication
technology ICT where thee users are harassed and intimidated through the internet. Over the
number of years, cyberbullying has greatly increased the insights ion the health issues and
prevalent copying cases reported online. The sources for cyberbullying include social networks
and responding to the disturbing information from the unknown end with personal information.
Sharing personal information increases the risks of bullying and the offenders find the
opportunity to threaten, harass and humiliate the online users (Dubois et al., 2012). The study
shows that a third of the victims have bullied both online and offline through the sharing of their
personal information.
The Purpose for research study
Evaluative investigation was conducted concerning cyber bullying and the risks and ways
of reducing the cases in the contemporary world. The youth and the young generation are the
most affected due to the access to the internet and open exposure to the online users that end up
bullying? However, not only the children have affected but also the adults who fall into the traps
of the fraudulent through assisting in sending messages and their private information online. The
adolescent is prone to cyberbullying such as impersonation, engaging on online
discussions/arguments, use of abusive language, and spreading of rumor information on various
platforms online that are the source of bullying (Aluwihare, 2012).

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Implementation of the study
It is argued that cyberbullying can be avoided through the use of various methods such as
ignoring to respond to fake messages online, blocking the unnecessary senders, and avoiding free
internet sources in the public. The parents should develop a culture of creating awareness to their
children in order to educate them concerning cyberbullying. The effects of bullying cause a long
term effect on the victims’ even mental cases thus the need for effective concern to avoid
continued escalations over cyberbullying (Hug man, Pittway & Bartholomew, 2011). The studies
conducted came up with several important implementations on the cyberbullying such as the
provision of safety to the online users, improving the workplace of the employees, provision of
control methods for the online users and proper detection systems.
Minimizing cyberbullying risks
The research study conducted suggested various methods for safeguarding the
participant’s data. From the data collected the affected participant’s personal information not to
be disclosed to unknown sources either within the working place. More diligence should be
applied in the research study for minimizing the risks of the participants to the risks of their
personal information. The research study argued that improvement with information technology
and communication ICT department in safeguarding the individual’s privacy (Juritzen, Grimen &
Heggen, 2011).
The participants vulnerable to cyberbullying
The researchers carry out the detailed study purposely for the recognition of the
participants that are engaged in the research for upholding the ethical values. The study focuses

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on the online user’s participant’s vulnerability to cyberbullying. However, other departments
such as the health departments, human service and drugs administration still experience the same
vulnerability. Since the participant’s information is vulnerable for coercing it is important for
their personal information to be safeguarded. The vulnerable participants include the children,
the adolescents, youth and the adult’s exposure to cyberbullying. Arguably, the vulnerable are the
people with less ability in resisting to respond to the online user’s impersonations. However, the
participants fall in a trap due to the influence of other people coercing them in the online
message sharing that end up bullying some of the individuals (Perren & Gutzwiller, 2012).
Therefore, the participants are affected by the factors such as peer pressure influence; the
threats posed on their lives, the fake benefits promises granted through impersonations. The
financial constraints of the participant contribute to bullying of the individual to the extent of
sharing their private information. The participants involved in the study should be highly
considered for proper balancing on the risks posed on them at the same time the benefits of the
research also concern the participants (Oliver, 2010). Arguably, the concern on the participants
means securing their personal data accurately, use of proper communication channels, use of
ethical reviews and determination on the ethical issues. All the ethical concerns must be used in
the study and be applied in the research fields for all the stakeholders. However, the vulnerable
participants are times susceptible to abuse of their rights where the respondents are forced in
participation. When the voluntaries miss or not willing to participate in the interviews some
members or employees are randomly sampled to participate (Aluwihare, 2012).
Explanation of participant’s coerced to take part in the research study?

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No, the participants were not coerced in the participating of the research study since the
study took place in the workplaces where the participant’s health, safety measures, and risks are
the key components for protection. The working places included energy power plants, National
spacecraft’s, and medical centers educational and financial institutions. However, these working
environments present various workers with the provision of different testing for protecting their
privacy and personal information. The research used various samples of the participants for the
purpose of creating the ethical aspects for legal protection (Juritzen, Grimen & Heggen, 2011).
The research study argues that interviewing the participants is voluntary for obtaining the data
information of the participants.
Comment on how issues of anonymity and were dealt with in the study.
The issues concerning anonymity were dealt by first considering the necessary
requirements such as security and dignity of the participants that are involved in the research.
Arguably the main issues on the research ethics with the anonymity is respecting the
respondent’s privacy and protecting them from risk that may happen in the research process. The
rights of the respondents must be respected and develop proper awareness when addressing the
personal information of the participants (Oliver, 2010). The participant’s personal information
such as the names, identity, job ranking, gender sensitive, age and the period of working were
highly protected and kept private for the security of the participants. However, every
organization requires their anonymity to be highly secured.
The issues concerning confidentiality were dealt in the following ways:

RESEARCH ETHICS ON CYBER BULLYING 6
The researchers were first required to present and address the issue on the confidentiality
of the participants before conducting interviews and promise of keeping their personal data
privacy. The researchers were advised for proper protection of the confidentiality of the
participants during data collection. Also, the research team access to the data of the participants
kept a promise not to share nor disclose the information of the interviewed respondents. The
challenge of addressing the participants’ confidentiality should be highly secured since the
respondent’s personal accounts and social life should project research ethics (Dubois et al.,
2012). Arguably, the interests of the research participants must be highly considered for proper
investigations and making the findings.
The restrictions concerned with ethical issues include the research study and the kind of
participants affected. Some of the participants were affected by the ethical issues due to
vulnerability in the research voluntariness. The participant’s ethical concern with the study had
no option either to participate or not. The most significant part with research confidentiality
involved vulnerability with the individual personal data (Oliver, 2010). The restrictions with the
research participants found it difficult in the identification and management of the researcher's
work. The study faced restrictions such as personal interactions with the researchers and the
respondents was a challenge due to individual information is involved in either cases in various
stages of study. However, the study investigated that the proper use of the guidelines will assist
on handling the issues dealing with restrictions when conducting the research.
Ethical issues in the cyberbullying Research study
Situational testing such as the electronic transmissions for obtaining the data of the
individuals requires security and privacy. Some ethical concerns should not have a specific place

RESEARCH ETHICS ON CYBER BULLYING 7
since etiquette should prevail in all the places. Computer users should have better programmed
soft wares that do not risk their users to cases of bullying and consider the adverse effects.
Arguably, cyber ethics is the best discipline for the appropriate moral usage of pertaining to
online users. The case of cyberbullying should be reported to the relevant authorities, and the
internet users are advised not to respond to cases of cyberbullying in form of text, hacking and
should keep the information a secret for the purpose of their security (Dubois et al., 2012).
Number and type of participants that were affected by ethical concerns
Conducting ethical research in a number of times not only affecting the participants directly but
also the researchers. However, the cases of participants affected with the ethical concerns did not
experience psychological effects, physical discomfort, and effect on stress. The research study
did not involve disrupting the participants physical and health concerns. The study raised several
issues on ethics that restrict the researchers and the participant’s being involved in any way with
personal faith, believes family and social stands of the respondents.
In conclusion, the study should be fostered with high respect through the proper provision
of personal information. The cases of cyberbullying are avoidable through the application of
various methods such as blocking the fraudulent sending unnecessary texts and blocking them.
The research study came out with suggestion on the implementation of safety and proper
detections of fake users on the internet and applying the penalties on fake accounts. However, the
research also noted the significance of minimizing the risks of the participants with their personal
information to the unknown sources (Juritzen, Grimen & Heggen, 2011). The ethical concern
when conducting research should consider various risks and even the benefits and protection of
the participant’s personal information.

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References
Aluwihare-Samaranayake, D. (2012). Ethics in qualitative research: A view of the participants'
and researchers' world from a critical standpoint. International Journal of Qualitative
Methods, 11(2), 64-81.
DuBois, J. M., Beskow, L., Campbell, J., Dugosh, K., Festinger, D., Hartz, S., ... & Lidz, C.
(2012). Restoring balance: a consensus statement on the protection of vulnerable research
participants. American journal of public health, 102(12), 2220-2225.
Hugman, R., Pittaway, E., & Bartolomei, L. (2011). When ‘do no harm’is not enough: The ethics
of research with refugees and other vulnerable groups. The British Journal of Social
Work, 41(7), 1271-1287.
Juritzen, T. I., Grimen, H., & Heggen, K. (2011). Protecting vulnerable research participants: A
Foucault-inspired analysis of ethics committees. Nursing ethics, 18(5), 640-650.
Oliver, P. (2010). The student's guide to research ethics. McGraw-Hill Education (UK).
Perren, S., & Gutzwiller-Helfenfinger, E. (2012). Cyberbullying and traditional bullying in
adolescence: Differential roles of moral disengagement, moral emotions, and moral
values. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9(2), 195-209.