Bullying psych theories

Question 1

What are the theories

Answer 1

SLT
Ecological systems theory
ToM

Question 2

SLT strengths

Answer 2

Clear Mechanism

Empirical Support

Media Influence

Applicability to Interventions

Question 3

SLT weaknesses

Answer 3

Individual Differences

Lack of Emotional Focus

Simplistic View

Question 4

Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) overview and mechanisms

Answer 4

Overview: Bullying results from multiple interacting environmental systems.

Mechanism: Influences include:
o Microsystem: Immediate family and peers.
o Mesosystem: School climate.
o Macrosystem: Cultural norms.

Question 5

Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) Strengths

Answer 5

Holistic Approach

School Climate

Practical Interventions

Cultural Relevance

Question 6

Ecological Systems Theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) weaknesses

Answer 6

Broad and Complex: The theory’s broad scope makes it difficult to pinpoint specific causal mechanisms or predict individual behavior.

Resource-Intensive: Addressing multiple systems requires significant time, effort, and resources, making it challenging to implement in practical settings.

Lacks Focus on Individual Traits: The theory does not emphasize individual differences, like personality or genetic predispositions, may contribute to bullying.

Question 7

ToM overview and mechanism

Answer 7

Theory of Mind: Difficulty understanding others’ thoughts and emotions.

Empathy: Lack of sharing or responding to others’ feelings.

Question 8

ToM strengths

Answer 8

Empirical Support

Explains Emotional Insensitivity: Deficits in empathy help explain why bullies may disregard the distress of their victims.

Targeted Interventions: Programs designed to enhance empathy and perspective-taking skills have shown promise in reducing bullying.

Question 9

ToM weaknesses

Answer 9

Skilled Manipulators

Varied Roles of Empathy

Overlooks Environmental Factors

Question 10

Clear Mechanism (S) for what

Answer 10

SLT provides a clear and practical explanation of how bullying behaviours are acquired and reinforced through modeling and imitation.

Question 11

Empirical Support (S) for what

Answer 11

Research demonstrates that children exposed to aggressive role models, such as parents who use harsh discipline, are more likely to adopt similar behaviours (Olweus, 1993).

Rigby and Slee (1991) explored peer influences, finding that children who witnessed peers engaging in bullying were more likely to imitate such behaviors to gain acceptance or avoid becoming targets themselves.

Question 12

Media influence (S) for what

Answer 12

Anderson & Bushman (2001) showed that violent video games could increase aggressive tendencies in children.

Question 13

Applicability to interventions (S) for what

Answer 13

SLT highlights the importance of positive role models, which can guide intervention strategies.

Question 14

Individual differences (L) for what

Answer 14

Not all children exposed to aggressive models display bullying behaviours, suggesting that genetic predispositions, personality traits, or other protective factors are overlooked.

Question 15

Lack of emotional focus (L) for what

Answer 15

SLT

The theory does not adequately consider emotional regulation or cognitive processes, such as moral reasoning, that influence bullying.

Question 16

Simplistic view (L) for what

Answer 16

SLT tends to oversimplify complex behaviours, such as bullying, by reducing them to learned patterns without fully accounting for contextual and situational variability.

Question 17

Holistic Approach (S) for what

Answer 17

The theory considers multiple layers of influence, from family and school to societal norms, offering a comprehensive understanding of bullying

Question 18

School climate (S) for what

Answer 18

eco system

Research by Espelage & Swearer (2003) emphasizes the importance of school environments and peer dynamics in encouraging or preventing bullying behaviors.

Question 19

Practical interventions (S) for what

Answer 19

ECO

Interventions based on this theory can target multiple systems, such as improving family dynamics, promoting positive peer relationships, and fostering supportive school climates.

Question 20

Cultural Relevance (S) for what

Answer 20

ECO

The theory highlights the role of broader cultural norms, such as tolerance for aggression or power hierarchies, in shaping bullying behaviors.

Question 21

Empirical backing for EST

Answer 21

Hong and Espelage (2012) explored the mesosystem level, emphasizing how peer group norms and family dysfunction interacted to create conditions conducive to bullying.

Wang et al. (2014) examined macrosystem influences, finding that societal acceptance of hierarchical power structures normalized aggressive behaviors in schools, particularly in collectivist cultures.

Question 22

Empirical support for ToM

Answer 22

Research by Gini et al. (2007) indicates that lower levels of cognitive or affective empathy are associated with increased bullying behaviors.

Pouwels et al. (2016) demonstrated that interventions targeting empathy development in schools, such as role-playing exercises, reduced the frequency of bullying incidents.

Question 23

Skilled Manipulators (L) for what

Answer 23

Some bullies demonstrate advanced Theory of Mind skills, using their understanding of others’ emotions to manipulate or dominate peers (Sutton et al., 1999).

Question 24

Varied role of empathy (L) for what

Answer 24

The role of empathy may depend on the type of bullying (e.g., proactive vs. reactive), which the theory does not fully address.

Caravita et al. (2009) differentiated between proactive and reactive bullies, showing that proactive bullies often had intact ToM but used it to manipulate and dominate peers.

Question 25

Overlooks environmental factors (L) for what

Answer 25

Empathy deficits alone cannot explain bullying without considering peer influence, school climate, or family dynamics.

Question 26

Olweus 1993 Crit Ev

Answer 26

Seminal work in the field of bullying research, offering valuable insights and practical applications.

However, a reliance on self reports, limited cultural generalisability and excluded cyberbullying.

Good foundation but limited generalisation

Question 27

Hong and Espelage 2012 crit ev

Answer 27

Significant contribution to literature offering valuable insights

However, reliance on secondary data, lack of focus on cyberbullying and challenges in operationalising its model limits the practical applicability

Question 28

Gini et al 2007 crit ev

Answer 28

Significant contribution highlight the role of empathy.

Methodological limitations such as reliance on self reports and lack of contextual analysis limits the explanatory power of the study