University Students’ Perspectives of Visual-based Cyberbullying on Instagram

Abstract

This dissertation aims to explore university students’ perspectives on visual-based cyberbullying with a specific focus on Instagram, as well as the current university policies related to cyberbullying. This study applies a mixed-method data collection approach using surveys, interviews, visual narrative inquiries, and a scan of university policies. The research design is guided by a holistic theoretical notion grounded in the Social Ecological Model and the Cognitive-Affective-Behavioral framework. The findings of this study contribute to the information science literature on university students’ information literacy education and designs of the social media system.