Relevant dimensions of cyberbullying — Results from two experimental studies

•Laboratory studies contribute additional conceptual insight into cyberbullying.•Vignettes are a helpful instrument for experimental cyberbullying research.•Cyberbullying by a popular bully is more distressing than by an unpopular one.•Cyberbullying via video is more distressing than via text messages.•Different types of cyberbullying elicit unique coping patterns.

Cyberbullying is a prevalent problem of adolescents. However, several conceptual and measurement questions, regarding its defining characteristics and relevant dimensions in comparison to conventional bullying, remain unanswered. To this end we conducted two studies with experimental methods. Study I shows that power imbalance in terms of perceived popularity is relevant for the affective, cognitive, and behavioral experience of cyberbullying. Cyberbullying by a popular bully is more distressing than cyberbullying by an unpopular bully. Study II shows that factors unique to cyberbullying are also relevant for the experience of cyberbullying, namely the media and the type of cyberbullying. For example, different types of cyberbullying are related to different patterns of relevant coping strategies. Therefore, cyberbullying seems both a unique phenomenon and closely related to conventional bullying.