Abstract - This research attempted to fill the knowledge gap in cyberbullying phenomenon by focusing on factors that contribute to its activities among adolescents in Malaysia. The research seeks to understand the antecedents and the contexts and prevailing conditions that influence it, as well as the phenomenon, the coping strategies and the consequences resulting from the coping strategies. Using a grounded theory methodology, in-depth interviews were conducted on adolescents aged between 12 to 18 years from different schools in the state of Perlis. The data were analyzed using NVivo 10 by methodically coding and categorizing the data in open, axial and selective coding to arrive at a model development. A paradigm model was obtained based on informants’ individual comments and experiences which uniquely contribute to the body of knowledge on cyberbullying phenomenon in Malaysia. The involved elements derived from the model are; the antecedents of cyberbullying; the phenomenon; the coping strategies by informants and the consequences resulting from these strategies. The significance of this study lies in its attempt to provide a working framework for reducing adolescents’ technology abuse that will eventually lead to cyberbullying and to find solutions for adolescents to tackle cyberbullying problems if it ever happened. This study is hoped to benefit all the parties: adolescents, parents, teachers, and other stakeholders to minimize adolescents’ cyberbullying phenomenon. Index Terms - Cyberbullying, Paradigm model, Grounded theory I. INTRODUCTION THE necessity for in-depth research on cyberbullying factors among adolescents is particularly relevant in the Malaysian context, given that the last few years have witnessed a significant raise in cyberbullying incidents in Malaysia. However, there is a lack of studies regarding cyberbullying activities in Malaysia prior to 2008 as far as the researcher is concerned. Globally, the cyberbullying research has focused mainly on quantitative research rather than qualitative. Therefore, there is a need for an in-depth look into this phenomenon, particularly in the Malaysian context. Given that cyberbullying is a global trepidation, the current study will initiate the investigation and for future research to adapt its paradigm model for other similar analysis. This current study, therefore, will explore adolescents’ personal experiences and perceptions of cyberbullying within the Malaysian environment, and examines all factors that cause this phenomenon. Previous researches have supported the view of cyberbullying negative impact to adolescents. Breguet (2007) found cyberbullying victims feel abandoned, unselfconfident, and dishonored. As a consequence of these negative feelings (Patchin & Hinduja, 2006; Strom & Strom, 2005) stressed that victims may undergo lowered self-respect, despair, feelings of depression, and alienation which may also lead to psychological turmoil. Gati, Tenyi, Tury, and Wildmann (2002) in their qualitative research of a female adolescent identified with eating disorder, established that sexual harassment on the Internet acted as a significant part in the advancement of her disorder. In addition, Patchin and Hinduja (2006) in their latest research of habitual Internet users verified that frequent feelings stumbled upon by cyberbullying victims embrace of disappointment and rage. Beran and Li, (2005) in a study concerning 432 students, implied that 57% of cyberbullying victims felt aggravated on countless occurrences, and about 36% felt miserable and affronted. Beran and Li (2005) strongly recommended that these emotions of rage, misery, and upset will manipulate students’ skills to concentrate in school and thrive academically (Beran & Li, 2005). The effects of cyberbullying have actually exceeded the emotional level when there have suicides amongst children and youth in response to extreme cases of cyberbullying (Shariff, 2009). II. PRESENT STUDY Studies have demonstrated how people act in a different way in computer-mediated communication (CMC) (Wallace, 1999) and these behaviors tend to hurt through its own distinctive ways. Prior to cyberbullying, many researchers have put their interest on traditional type of bullying – the face-to-face bullying. Traditional bullying has confirmed its negative impacts on adolescents (Mouttapa, Valente, Gallaher, Rohrbach, & Unger, 2004; Veenstra, Lindenberg, Oldehinkel, DeWinter, Verhulst, & Ormel, 2004; Fox & Boulton, 2005; Olweus, 1997, 2005). Olweus (2003a) suggested that traditional bullying frequently implicates severe and continuing consequences such as anxiety, anger, depression, somatic symptoms, eating disorders, chronic illness, impaired school functioning, school avoidance, and suicidal ideation (Juvonen, Nishina, & Graham, 2000; Nansel, Overpeck, Ramani, Ruan, Simons- Morton, & Scheidt, 2001; Espelage & Swearer, 2003; Juvonen, Graham, & Schuster, 2003; Olweus, 2003b/1993; Rigby, 2003; Seals & Young, 2003; Plog, 2005; Patchin & Hinduja, 2006). In severe cases, victims react with aggression The Paradigm Model of Cyberbullying Phenomenon Hanif Suhairi Abu Bakar, Norhafezah Yusof, and Adrian M. Budiman DOI: 10.5176/2335-6618_1.1.11 GSTF International Journal on Media & Communications(JMC) Vol.1 No.1, March 2013 98 © 2013 GSTF