Students' Cyber-bullying of Secondary Schools Teachers as A Form of Social Exclusion in Saudi Arabia since the Outbreak of COVID-19

Abstract

Few previous studies conducted in the USA, UK, and other foreign countries suggest that many teachers worldwide are cyber-bullied by students. However, teachers lack experience and interpretations of the causes of cyber-bullying as well as coping strategies. Therefore, the current study attempted to extensively focus on the nature and manifestation of the phenomenon in Arab countries such as Saudi Arabia. In addition, it aimed to raise awareness of cyberbullying causes, different forms of cyber-attacks against teachers, consequences, social problems, and harms caused, along with determining the procedures and actions taken by victimized teachers to cope with this phenomenon or overcome its devastating effects on them. In order to shed light on this sensitive experience, the study depended on a structured interview form using the criteria sampling technique and snowball sampling technique in order to get sufficient insight into the phenomenon's causes, types, effects, and coping strategies. Furthermore, a pilot study was conducted on Saudi secondary school students to determine the real motives for their cyber-attacks against teachers .The study's findings are consistent with the previous studies. Teachers in Saudi secondary schools suffer from persistent and repeated cyber-attacks from their students for various reasons and in different forms due to modernization processes on a large scale in Saudi Arabia that caused a radical change in this community and the appearance of new behavioral patterns with adverse effects due to misusing Information Technology. Besides, a variety of social networks (Facebook, Twitter, you tube, and G+) can spread humiliating and defaming materials among millions in seconds.