EXPLORING THE DISTANCE EDUCATION STUDENTS' CYBERBULLYING, CYBERVICTIMIZATION AND CYBERBULLYING SENSIBILITY LEVELS

The purpose of present research is to detect cyberbullying, cybervictimization and cyberbullying sensibility levels of distance education students and analyze these levels with respect to several variables. The research has been patterned on relational screening model. Study group consisted of 297 distance education students studying at university in Marmara region during fall term of 2012-2013 academic year. Data have been obtained via cyberbullying scale, cybervictimization scale and cyberbullying sensibility scale. In the analysis of obtained data descriptive statistics, Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis H and correlation tests have been utilized. Obtained findings manifested that distance education students received low scores on cyberbullying and mid level scores from cybervictimization; that they possess high sensibility towards cyberbullying and there is statistically meaningful differentiation between cyberbullying and cybervictimization. It has also been detected that the increase in Internet usage has accelerating effect on cyberbullying and cybervictimization and that there is correlation between cyberbullying and cybervictimization. Furthermore it has been revealed that compared to female students male students are engaged in higher levels of cyberbullying and they become cybervictimized more frequently.