Young men, trolling victims more likely to become trolls themselves, study finds
ABC Southern QldBy David Chen
Posted 46m ago
(O)(A)
Australian teenagers who troll can have psychopathic traits, according to the study.(ABC Southern Qld: Kemii Maguire)
A study on internet trolling among Australian teenagers has found young men and those who have been trolled themselves are more likely to engage in the behaviour.
Key points:
- Psychopathic traits were identified as a key factor in trolling behaviour
- Twenty-five per cent of survey respondents said they had been trolled in the previous 12 months
- An academic not involved in the study says more research into the issue is needed
The University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) surveyed more than 150 teenagers aged between 13 and 18 on their attitudes towards trolling.
The behaviour, which is distinct from the broader term of cyberbullying, usually involves a person deliberately trying to upset others online.
Lead author Jessica Marrington said almost a quarter of those surveyed said they had been trolled in the previous year and that 13 per cent said they had trolled others.
She said the survey suggested there was enjoyment in provoking others and that high levels of psychopathic traits were key factors behind the behaviour.
Jessica Marrington surveyed more than 150 teenagers for the study.(Supplied: UniSQ)
"We asked participants questions such as 'I enjoy making someone angry', 'I enjoy embarrassing others', 'I enjoy tricking someone out of something,'" Dr Marrington said.
"What we found was the individual who more strongly agreed with those [statements] … got enjoyment from those kinds of reactions, tended to engage in more of that online trolling behaviour."
Dr Marrington said the study found there was a difference behind the motivations of adults and teenagers when it came to trolling others and that young people were often engaging in the behaviour to get a reaction out of strangers.
People who have been trolled can be more likely to troll others, the study found.(ABC Southern Qld: Kemii Maguire)
More research needed
Queensland University of Technology professor Marilyn Campbell, who was not involved in the study, said the research was an excellent first step at examining trolling among Australian teenagers.But she said the study, which struggled to find participants, might have had skewed results by attracting those who had an interest in trolling in the first place.
Dr Campbell said she was not surprised by findings that those who had been trolled were more likely to engage in the behaviour.
"If you are constantly victimised, sometimes you try to bully others," she said.
"If you're trolled as well, maybe you'll try that behaviour on others for so-called revenge."
Dr Campbell said more longer-term studies were needed to determine if there was a causal link between trolling and adolescents with high psychopathic traits.
Mark Oliphant says issues such as trolling can be overwhelming for educators and parents.(ABC Southern Qld: David Chen)
Grasping the trends
Toowoomba Grammar senior school head Mark Oliphant said such research was important in helping educators better understand how teenagers used social media."When research like this comes out from UniSQ, we can have a look at it we can understand what the trends are and then we can adjust our programs for the kids accordingly," he said.
Mr Oliphant said he believed better education was vital in helping tackle trolling and cyberbullying.
"I think the best thing that we can do collectively as communities is educate ourselves about these things," he said.
"Go to the information sessions that schools are putting on."
Mr Oliphant said parents should "read up online to best understand how they can support their child through what is really a complex online environment".
The study has been published in the journal PLOS One.
