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The experience of bullying among secondary school students
Author(s) -
Athanasiades Christina,
DeliyanniKouimtzis Vassiliki
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
psychology in the schools
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.738
H-Index - 75
eISSN - 1520-6807
pISSN - 0033-3085
DOI - 10.1002/pits.20473
Subject(s) - psychology , psychological intervention , developmental psychology , homogeneous , focus group , interpretative phenomenological analysis , suicide prevention , social psychology , human factors and ergonomics , poison control , qualitative research , medicine , social science , physics , environmental health , marketing , psychiatry , sociology , business , thermodynamics
Abstract The present study was designed to qualitatively investigate secondary students' interpretations and experiences of bullying (and victimization) in Greek schools, with a focus on gender similarities and differences. Overall, 95 students (50 boys and 45 girls), 15 or 16 years old, participated in focus group interviews that were homogeneous in terms of grade and gender. Data analysis, using the interpretative phenomenological approach, showed that different interpretations and meanings of bullying between genders have important consequences on actual behavior. Furthermore, students do not reveal bullying and victimization to either parents or teachers, who are described as indifferent and ineffective. Results are indicative of a school culture that is conducive to bullying behaviors and have important implications for antibullying interventions. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.