Bullying, cyberbullying, depression and suicide ideation

Data on bullying/cyberbullying and depression/suicide ideation among youth is usually collected via paper-and-pencil questionnaires delivered in classrooms. In recent years data collection methods for psychological questionnaires have seemingly shifted from the classical paper-and-pencil method to web-based questionnaires. There are numerous advantages to web-based methods; however, the exact circumstances in which this method affects data quality are not yet fully understood. In this chapter we address the question of whether the medium by which data is collected affects results, specifically concerning bullying, cyberbullying, depression and suicide ideation among adolescents. Study group: A total of 230 students participated in the study. Half (n=115) were recruited online and completed a web-based survey. The other half (n=115) were recruited from five different middle schools and high schools across Israel and completed a paper-and-pencil survey. The participants who completed the paper-and-pencil survey were matched to the online participants in terms of their age, gender and parental occupation status. Methods: Data from both samples were compared and significant differences were further investigated. Results: General cyber-victimization was more prevalent among participants who answered paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Being harassed in virtual chat rooms and suffering from rumors being spread online were the specific types of cyber-victimization that were more prevalent on paper-and-pencil questionnaires. Depression and harassment via e-mail were more prevalent among online participants. Conclusions: Recruiting participants online has many advantages but it is important to understand the limitations of this sampling method, especially the extent to which it is possible to generalize findings.