Moral development theories and bullying have some connections. In particular, one can use Kohlberg’s theory of moral development to analyze cyberbullying among adolescents. According to Kohlberg, there are three levels of moral development. Each of these levels has two stages. The first level, the pre-conventional level, encompasses the first and second stages (Baldwin, 2018). The first stage is obedience and punishment driven. A person perceives an action as inappropriate because the perpetrator is punished. Adolescents realize that cyberbullying is immoral when there is punishment for using social media and other digital communication tools in specific ways (Zastrow et al., 2019). Self-interest drives the second stage. One treats others in a particular way to pursue selfish gains and not out of intrinsic respect for them (Baldwin, 2018). An adolescent could perceive bullying as wrong because it denies them something they value, such as friends.
Conventional and post-conventional are the other levels of moral development. The conventional level encompasses stages three and four of moral development. In stage three, one does good to conform to social standards (Baldwin, 2018). Adolescents could desist from cyberbullying to present themselves as ‘good boys and girls.’ The need to respect authority and maintain social order characterizes stage four. One appreciates that it would be chaotic if everyone violated social laws. Recognizing that the world would be violent if everyone abused communication technologies shapes adolescents’ moral reasoning (Jenkins et al., 2017). In stage five, one views the world as having diverse opinions and values, and social contracts drive moral reasoning (Baldwin, 2018). Adolescents appreciate the need for mutual respect. In stage six, moral reasoning is based on universal ethical principles. Adolescents desist from cyberbullying based on the principles of justice and equality.
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While modern technology has changed bullying, some aspects of traditional bullying have persisted. Cyberbullies can reach their victims almost all the time, unlike face-to-face bullies (Brown et al., 2017). Besides, cyber victimization audience can grow much faster compared to traditional bullying. What is more, the power differential in cyberbullying can take various forms, unlike in traditional bullying, where it only involves social and physical power (Brown et al., 2017). However, the intent of bullying has persisted: pleasure, power, and popularity.
References
Baldwin, J. M. (2018). Kohlberg’s stages of moral development and criticisms. Proceedings Book , 73-81. https://www.jear-eu.com/Articles/3/Images/29-06-2015/194910_JEAR_C_PB_2018.pdf#page=74.
Brown, C. F., Demaray, M. K., Tennant, J. E., & Jenkins, L. N. (2017). Cyber victimization in high school: Measurement, overlap with face-to-face victimization, and associations with social–emotional outcomes. School Psychology Review , 46 (3), 288-303. https://doi.org/10.17105/spr-2016-0004.v46-3.
Jenkins, L. N., Demaray, M. K., & Tennant, J. (2017). Social, emotional, and cognitive factors associated with bullying. School Psychology Review , 46 (1), 42-64. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2017.12087609.
Zastrow, C. H., Kirst-Ashman, K. K., & Hessenauer, S. L. (2019). Social development in adolescence. In Understanding human behavior and the social environment . (pp. 361-409). Cengage Learning.
