Systematic review of empirical studies on cyberbullying in adults: What we know and what we should investigate

Cyberbullying is a worldwide phenomenon and most of our knowledge comes from studies with adolescent and younger populations. Adult populations have received scarce attention. The present study is a systematic review of empirical academic papers on cyberbullying in the adult population. An online databases search (CINHAL, PsycInfo, ERIC, Medline, Pubmed, and Web of Science) identified 3986 references that, in successive steps, were reduced to 90 studies published between 2004 and 2016 that met the inclusion criteria. Each study was analyzed regarding topic, methods, ages, and other general characteristics. In addition, the measures used to assess cyberbullying, the impact of cyberbullying, and the different roles of those involved in the studies with adult population were explored. Results showed that there is a need for studies conducted in locations other than university settings and that the variety of measures, as well as the different criteria utilized to identify the cyberbullied, cyberbullies, and bystanders makes it difficult to compare findings. There is a need for longitudinal studies and for evidence-based practices to deal with these violent and aggressive behaviors.