How are teachers being attacked online? On cyberbullying and cyberaggression that targets school educators from the student’s perspective

Abstract

The twin phenomena of cyberbullying and cyberaggression are among the most common e-threats. Today, much is known about the aggression and violence mediated by new media and targeted at students. However, there is still an empirical gap in the consideration of the mechanisms and forms of cyberaggression and cyberbullying targeting teachers. The aim of this study is to present 10 types of cyber-attacks that teachers have been subjected to in Poland in the last few years. The types of attacks presented include vilification in the information space (forums and social networking sites), direct attack using social networks, recording teachers without their consent, online blackmail, creation and dissemination of memes, photomontage, latent cyberbullying, destructive actions in the COVID-19 period, the creation of fake profiles, and the use of a digital tool in an offline environment. The subject of the study was the statements of post-secondary school graduates who had encountered such phenomena. The article highlights the need to increase digital safety for teachers.