Anyone can be a cyberbully, not just people who are unhinged

People who have high premeditated or impulsive aggressive tendencies online are likely to cyberbully others, according to a new University of Michigan study. But anyone can be an online offender-not just certain groups of people, the study indicated. Researchers from the School of Information and the Law School examined what psychological characteristics predicted how internet users behaved in aggressive online conflict. Online harassment can range from a brief, single incident between strangers to sustained threats. U-M researchers sought to learn more about these behaviors and their consequences. "We focus on specific behaviors that are most likely harmful rather than the label 'harassment,'”said Song Mi Lee , the paper's lead author and School of Information doctoral candidate. More than 300 adults completed self-reports about situations of disapproval or anger against other people.