Ontology Development for Cyber Violence Victimization in Korean Adolescents

Since the dynamics and forms of cyber violence evolve at the same rapid pace as technology platforms, we used social big data to develop an ontology for cyber violence victimization in South Korea. Following the seven-stage ontology development process, we extracted keywords from 3,075 social media data sources including online articles, comments, and blogs. Focus group interview data was also obtained from 40 adolescents and 5 cyber violence experts. The analysis identified domains for (1) participants subdivided by age, school level, sex, form, and relationship; (2) protective and risk factors by individuals, family, friends, school, community, and online systems; (3) types by form and method of violence; (4) characteristics by media and distinct features; (5) outcomes by individual and relational/social; and (6) interventions and policies by personal coping strategies, services/interventions, and laws/policies. These findings provide a multi-faceted perspective on cyber violence victimization experiences in South Korea. In addition, the results elucidate the newest types of cyber violence in real-life terms. Plain Language Summary Purpose: The purpose of this study is to develop an ontology for cyber violence victimization in South Korea by identifying and analyzing the various dimensions and factors of cyber violence. Methods: The study follows a seven-stage ontology development process involving the extraction of keywords from 3,075 social media sources, including online articles, comments, and blogs. The researchers also conducted focus group interviews with 40 adolescents and five cyber violence experts. Results: The analysis identifies key domains related to cyber violence victimization, including (1) participant characteristics based on age, school level, sex, form, and relationship; (2) protective and risk factors related to individuals, family, friends, school, community, and online systems; (3) types of violence based on form and method; (4) characteristics of cyber violence in terms of media and distinct features; (5) outcomes of cyber violence on individual and relational/social levels; and (6) interventions and policies such as personal coping strategies, services/interventions, and laws/policies. Implication: The study provides a comprehensive understanding of cyber violence victimization experiences in South Korea from multiple perspectives. The findings also shed light on the latest forms of cyber violence in real-life contexts.