Cyber-bullying research in Kenya: a meta-analysis

Abstract

Purpose – Cyber-bullying is a form of harassment that is perpetrated using electronic media. The practice has become increasingly common especially with the growing ubiquity of social media platforms. Most cyberbullying cases inevitably occur on Facebook because it is the most preferred social media platform. However, little is known about cyber-bullying research in Kenya. This paper aims to analyse the quantity, quality, visibility and authorship trends of scholarly publications on cyber-bullying from and/or about Kenya. Design/methodology/approach – This study was conducted as a systematic literature review. A meta-analysis approach was used. Bibliometrics approaches were used to conduct the analysis. Data on the publications was collected from Google Scholar using Harzing’s “Publish or Perish” software and then analysed and presented using Microsoft Excel, Notepad and VOSviewer. Findings – The study yielded 359 research publications on cyber-bullying in Kenya. There was a gradual increment in the number of publications, peaking in 2018. Nearly half of the publications have not been cited indicating low uptake of research on cyber-bullying in Kenya. It also emerged that most of the research has been published on subscription channels thereby restricting their visibility, access and use. Minimal collaboration in research on cyberbullying in Kenya was also observed since 67.4% of the publications were written by a single (one) author. The authors conclude that the quantity, quality and visibility of research on cyber-bullying in Kenya is low. Originality/value – This is an empirical study. The findings can be used to promote and mainstream research on cyber-bullying in Kenya.