Understanding Bullying and Victimization During Childhood and Adolescence: A Mixed Methods Study

Nancy G. Guerra, Kirk R. Williams, and Shelly Sadek

University of California at Riverside, USA

English

English

Self-esteem, normative beliefs, school climate, victimisation

Research

Policy Makers, Teachers, Researchers, School Directors.

1 - 20 pages

Quantitative and qualitative data is used to examine individual and contextual predictors of bullying and victimisation and how they vary by age and gender. Two types of survey data were collected from 2,678 elementary, middle, and high school youth attending 59 schools. Changes in both bullying and victimization were predicted across gender and age by low self-esteem and negative school climate, with normative beliefs supporting bullying predicting increases in bullying only. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for preventive antibullying interventions in schools.

This document is extensively researched and provides insights into the complex relationships between self-esteem, normative beliefs, school climate and bullying and victimisation. Although some of the results could have been anticipated, others were surprising e.g the suggestion that bullying takes place because it is fun and entertaining and also related to sexuality. Suggestions for further research are also interesting A very worthy research document if a little heavy going for the reader.

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2010.01556.x/pdf

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