Understanding Cyberbullying as the Convergence of Offender Disposition and Crime Opportunity: A Configurational Approach

In this study, applying a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) approach, we explain social media cyberbullying as the convergence of offender disposition (perpetrator’s willingness and presence of suitable target) and crime opportunity (absence of intimate handler, platform guardian, and lawful guardian). Data from online platform, namely MTurk, suggest that perpetrator’s willingness is the necessary condition without which cyberbullying does not take place neither in the USA nor in India. In addition, we obtain two sufficient configurations from each sample that adequately explain cyberbullying. Interestingly, both samples suggest a common configuration predicting cyberbullying – a combination of platform guardian, perpetrator’s willingness and presence of suitable target. The findings suggest several theoretical and practical implications.