Cyber Bullying: A Psycho-Social Study of the Entry Level Employees of the Hotel Industry in Kolkata

Abstract

Technology continues to grow rapidly and is therefore changing our ways of functioning in society. Recent advancements of Communication Technology, while providing us with conveniences, also expose us to interactions that put our safety and emotional well-being at risk. This article examines one of the harmful effects of technology, cyber bullying, which is a new form of harassment with distinct differences in structure, content and impact. A review of concerned literature shows that cyber bullying is becoming a serious problem in India and most of the people do not take any step when they are cyber bullied. Very few share their issues with their colleagues and/or family members or legal enforcement agencies. Another interesting finding was that cyber bullying and victimization are closely related. This finding call for a systematic understanding of cyber bullying that requires us to scrutinize the social and virtual relationships which are prone to cyber bullying. Cyber bullying has become a major social concern because it raises questions about techno ethics. The present paper is based on an exploration of the perception, experiences and the Psycho-social impact of victimization from cyber bullying among the Entry Level Employees of the Hotel Industry in Kolkata. The exploratory investigation is based on the following theoretical framework- Bandura’s Theory of Triadic Reciprocal Determinism and the General Strain Theory. This framework posits that human behaviour is influenced by an individual’s confrontation with various stimuli. Confrontation with negative stimuli, such as that involving cyber abuse, often results in a various psychological affects among victims that may be detrimental to their overall well-being. The study investigates why and how the ‘Entry Level’ Employees of the Hotel Industry in Kolkata, become victims of cyber bullying. It also focuses on the nature of cyber bullying in virtual space and reveals how those, who are bullied, react and why the victims mostly do not report the incident and take legal action. Primary data was collected through face to face semi structured open ended interviews with 30 ‘Entry Level’ Employees of the HotelIndustry – in the age group of between the age group of 22-26 years- working in different hotels in Kolkata (15 female and 15 male employees) and had faced cyber abuse in any form. The respondents were chosen by purposive sampling, followed by snow balling. Based on the analysis of the interview, the main finding of the empirical study were analyzed in the following sub-themes- i) effect of recurring instance of cybe crime, ii) self blaming and suspecting technology as well as people, and decline in self esteem, iii) feeling helpless, hopeless and worthless due to lack of control over cyber abuse.