Date of Conferral
2022
Degree
Ph.D.
School
Criminal Justice
Advisor
Sean Grier
Abstract
The teenage suicide rate in the United States has drastically increased as a result of continuous cyber-bullying behavior among adolescents. Little is known about San Diego County residents’ perceptions regarding the possible federal criminalization of cyber-bullying among middle-schoolers. The purpose of this study was to explore to what degree San Diego County residents believe that acts of cyber-bullying committed by middle-schoolers should be deemed a criminal offense. The theoretical foundation for this qualitative study was based on the theory of legislation. The research question focused on understanding San Diego County residents’ perceptions concerning the possible federal criminalization of cyber-bullying harassment among middle-schoolers. A qualitative pragmatic study design was used to conduct semi-structured interviews and analyze the responses of the study participants. The sample consisted of 10 randomly chosen participants who resided in San Diego County, California. The study participants were recruited using the purposeful random sampling strategy. Data from the interviews were coded and categorized for thematic analysis and constant comparison. The result of this study indicated that San Diego County residents were inclined to support the possible implementation of a federal legislation if punishment was tailored to promote the greatest happiness in society without compromising the principles of humanity. The potential implications for positive social change highlighted the importance of awareness, education, and fidelity among all stakeholders involved, and include suggestions for future research.
Recommended Citation
Stokely, Nadine, "San Diego Residents’ Perceptions of the Illegality of Cyber-Bullying Among Middle-Schoolers" (2022). Walden Dissertations and Doctoral Studies. 12860.
https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/12860
