2.3 Causes of cyberbullying
Existing literature on cyberbullying is mainly descriptive in nature: it does not focus on
explaining why cyberbullying occurs. It is important to note that, as Schrock and Boyd
conclude in their ‘online threats to youth’ literature review: ‘causality typically cannot
generally be inferred from the reviewed studies’ (2010:57). Most research designs in social
sciences are not fit to determine cause and effect relations between variables. Social science
studies often contain single surveys or studies which can only prove correlation: concluding
that two variables are related, but neither of the two can be said to cause the other. However,
although correlation does not demonstrate causation, causation requires correlation
(Wikstrom, 2008). Therefore, studies that find patterns of association between hypothesized
causes and effects contribute to understanding possible causes and falsify causal dependencies
that are not consistent with the data. Nevertheless, existing studies on cyberbullying lack
explanatory theoretical frameworks. Schrock and Boyd’s (2010) literature review, for
example, contains no research findings on possible causes of cyberbullying. Hence, in another
recent literature review, Kiriakidis and Kavoura spend only four lines on the ‘perceived
causes of cyberbullying’ (2010: 91). Moreover, the perceived causes of cyberbullying they describe do not seem to be causes at all. They state that causes to cyberbully are: ‘that
cyberbullying was made for fun’, for ‘retaliation’ or because the bullies ‘feel bad about
themselves’ (2010:91). These reasons to cyberbully are no causes, but rather they should be
called motives for cyberbullying behaviour.