The Affective Politics of Cyberbullying: Victim, Perpetrator, and Indigenous Subjectivity

This paper examines the viral 2020 video of Quaden Bayles, a nine-year-old Aboriginal child with a chromosomal disorder, who was filmed by their mother expressing distress over persistent bullying at school. The video, which garnered widespread sympathy and support, soon sparked a counter-response that questioned Quaden’s legitimacy as a victim, accusing them of fraud and even bullying. This public backlash demonstrates the complex dynamics of online and offline subjectivities and the evolving nature of cyberbullying. Drawing on Sara Ahmed’s (2004) concept of affective economies, the paper explores how Quaden’s identity was constructed through emotional responses on social media, oscillating between victim and perpetrator. The paper challenges the conventional binary framework of bully versus victim in cyberbullying research, arguing that such rigid definitions fail to capture the complexities of online violence. Instead, it advocates for a more fluid, context-sensitive approach that acknowledges the role of affect and the production of subjectivity in shaping the dynamics of bullying. This case study also underscores the need to consider Indigenous subjectivity in discussions of cyberbullying, as Indigenous identities are often overlooked in mainstream research. By focusing on Quaden’s experience, this paper contributes to a deeper understanding of the intersection between cyberbullying, race, and subjectivity, highlighting the need for research and interventions that are both culturally responsive and sensitive to the emotional and relational complexities of online harm.