DEVIANT BEHAVIORS IN MALAWIAN SECONDARY SCHOOLS: AN IN-DEPTH STUDY ON THE IMPACT OF CYBERBULLYING IN SELECTED SECONDARY SCHOOLS IN LILONGWE URBAN.

Author

Dr. Rightwell K Gondwe


Abstract

 This study investigates the prevalence, nature, and impacts of cyberbullying among secondary school students in Lilongwe Urban, Malawi, focusing on Glorious, Bwaila, and Chigoneka secondary schools. The research aims to explore how cyberbullying affects students psychologically, socially, academically, and physically, while evaluating the effectiveness of strategies implemented by these schools to address the issue. Using a qualitative phenomenological research design, data were collected through semi-structured interviews, focus group discussions, and document analysis. The study involved 50 participants drawn from a total population of 1,000, which included students, teachers, and school administrators. The study identifies common forms of cyberbullying, such as spreading rumors and sending offensive messages, predominantly through platforms like Facebook, WhatsApp, Snapchat, and TikTok. The findings highlight the significant negative impacts of cyberbullying, including emotional distress, social isolation, academic decline, and physical harm. Contributing factors include uncontrolled access to technology, lack of awareness, peer pressure, and inadequate reporting mechanisms. While schools have implemented strategies such as counseling services, awareness programs, and smartphone bans, these efforts are often hindered by inconsistent application, lack of formal policies, and limited school-wide approaches. The study concludes that more comprehensive, consistent, and proactive measures are needed to effectively combat cyberbullying in secondary schools.


Keywords

Cyberbullying, Deviant Behaviours, psychological impact, social impact, physical impact, academic impact, Secondary Schools, Lilongwe Urban, Malawi, Digital platforms, Students wellbeing, school intervention strategies.



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References


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