Abstract

This research reviews the literature about a new form of harassment, the cyberbullying. This harassment uses technologies such as Internet, smartphones, social networks, e-mail, to annoy, assault and harass other individuals. This work analyses why does this happen, who is the cyber-bully and who the cybervictim, in what contexts, how does the cyberbullying look like, and what can be done to prevent or diminish the threat. Results reveal that men are more prone to act both as an aggressor and as a victim, mainly between the ages of 9 and 17 years old. The cyberbully is generally older than the victim. Although not very frequent, cyberbullying is also present among adults. Additionally, the amount of time spent on the use of the Internet is highly related to the frequency and magnitude of the cyberbullying. The chances of being attacked are higher when students have access to Internet in the classroom. The role of parents is critical to prevent and diminish the threat.