Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Arts (MA)

Specialization

Communication and Leadership

School or Department

School of Leadership Studies

First Advisor

Dr. John Caputo

Second Advisor

Dr. Kristina Morehouse

Abstract

This thesis examines middle school counselor’s experiences with cyberbullying, specifically with teenage girls between the ages of 12 – 14. By examining the philosophical assumption that communication through technology can result in the creation of false identities of other people, this study seeks to find out how prominent cyberbullying is among middle school girls. The theory that this study focuses on is Computer-Mediated Communication which is a theory that communication takes place through textual messages using computers and involves two or more groups of people. This research design utilizes two forms of quantitative research as well as applied research. The quantitative research begins with a survey questionnaire distributed to all middle school counselors in the Washoe County School District in order to gain a better understanding of the types of cyberbullying situations middle school counselors deal with. The quantitative research also examines existing research on past cyberbullying situations. The applied research aspect of this study looks at how school counselors address cyberbullying and what can be done to stop these situations from happening. This study examines this issue from the school counselor’s perspective and offers suggestions for further research on prevention and intervention policies that school counselors can use in these situations.

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