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How do offenders define bullying? A study of adult, young and juvenile male offenders
Author(s) -
Ireland Jane L.,
Ireland Carol A.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
legal and criminological psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.65
H-Index - 57
eISSN - 2044-8333
pISSN - 1355-3259
DOI - 10.1348/135532503322362942
Subject(s) - psychology , juvenile delinquency , aggression , prison , population , recidivism , poison control , injury prevention , developmental psychology , clinical psychology , criminology , medical emergency , medicine , environmental health
Purpose. The main aim of the present study was to explore how offenders define bullying and how this relates to school‐based definitions, with a subsidiary aim of exploring age differences. Methods. The sample was selected from two separate prisons in the UK housing male offenders (one adult prison and one housing both young and juvenile offenders) and consisted of 322 offenders (127 adults, 95 young offenders and 100 juveniles). Offenders were asked to complete a questionnaire designed to assess their perceptions of bullying, including an assessment of what types of behaviours made up bullying based on the Direct and Indirect Prisoner Behaviour Checklist (DIPC©: Ireland, 1999). Results. Differences were found between school‐based definitions and those applied by offenders. In particular, offenders reported that a single act of aggression could be considered bullying and that there was not always an imbalance of power between the bully and the victim. Victims were often seen to provoke bullies. Bullies were not always respected by their peers and one‐quarter of offenders felt that the term ‘bullying’ was a ‘childish’ one. Offenders reported a range of discrete aggressive behaviours, both direct and indirect in nature, which could be considered to be bullying. Indirect behaviours were reported as bullying less frequently than direct behaviours. Conclusions. The study demonstrated how school‐based definitions of bullying do not readily apply to offenders and the findings are discussed in relation to the specific population and environment under study.