Lecture 18: Bullying (Part 1)

Question 1

What is the definition of bullying according to Olweus (2013)?

Answer 1

• Repeated, intentional aggressive behavior aimed to harm within a relationship with a power imbalance.
• Forms: Physical, verbal, social/relational, and cyberbullying (Wang et al., 2009).

Question 2

How is bullying behavior measured?

Answer 2

1. Self-Reports: Capture individual perspectives but may include bias.
2. Peer Reports: Broader insights into group dynamics but may miss covert bullying.
3. Parent/Teacher Reports: Useful for younger children but less accurate for hidden behaviors.

Study: Ladd & Kochenderfer-Ladd (2002): Peer reports were the most reliable for identifying covert bullying.

Question 3

What did Nansel et al. (2004) find about bullying prevalence?

Answer 3

• Participants: 113,200 children (11–16 years) across 25 countries.
  Findings:
  11% were victims.
  10% admitted bullying others.
  6% were bully-victims.

Methodology: Cross-sectional surveys.

Question 4

What cognitive biases are linked to bullying according to Crick & Dodge (1994)?

Answer 4

Aggressive children:
* Attend to fewer social cues.
* Attribute hostile intentions to others.
* Focus on dominance.
* Choose aggressive solutions.

Methodology: Vignettes with ambiguous/non-ambiguous scenarios used to assess response patterns.

Question 5

How does Theory of Mind (ToM) relate to bullying?

Answer 5

• Bullies often exhibit stronger ToM, enabling manipulative behaviors.
  Study: Sutton et al. (1999):

Participants: 193 children (7–10 years).

Methodology: ToM tasks assessing mental state attribution.

Findings: Bullies showed higher ToM, while assistants followed the bully’s lead.

Question 6

What role does moral disengagement play in bullying?

Answer 6

• Bullies use moral disengagement to justify harmful actions.
  Study: Gini (2006):

Bullies displayed significantly higher moral disengagement levels than non-bullies.

Methodology: Self-report scales assessing moral reasoning.

Question 7

What roles do peers play in bullying incidents?

Answer 7

• Roles include bully, victim, assistant, reinforcer, defender, and bystander.

Study: Salmivalli et al. (1996):
Findings: 85% of bullying incidents involved bystanders.
Methodology: Peer and self-reports categorizing roles.

Question 8

What social goals differentiate bullies, victims, and defenders?

Answer 8

• Bullies: Focus on agentic goals like dominance.
• Victims: Submissive goals, preferring low social visibility.
• Defenders: Communal goals, seeking positive relationships.

Study: Ojanen et al. (2005): Survey-based analysis of goal orientations.

Question 9

How does popularity relate to bullying?

Answer 9

• Some bullies are perceived as popular due to dominance and visibility, though not well-liked.

Study: Caravita et al. (2009): Peer and teacher ratings on perceived popularity and likability.

Question 10

How does school climate affect bullying behavior?

Answer 10

• Poor school climates (e.g., lack of safety, connectedness) increase bullying.

Study: Fink et al. (2018):
Participants: 23,215 students in 648 UK schools.
Findings: School climate explained bullying more than individual traits.
Methodology: Surveys assessing school environment and bullying incidents.

Question 11

What did Due et al. (2009) find about bullying and social inequalities?

Answer 11

• Bullying rates were not linked to a country’s wealth but were associated with income inequality.

Methodology: Cross-national survey of bullying prevalence and socioeconomic factors.

Question 11

What are effective components of anti-bullying interventions?

Answer 11

1. Curriculum-based learning (e.g., role play, discussions).
2. Parent involvement.
3. Peer mentoring programs.
4. Improved playground supervision.
5. Whole-school policies (clear rules and campaigns).

Methodology: Evaluation studies of multi-faceted programs, such as the KiVa program.

Question 12

How do cognitive deficits in moral sensitivity influence bullying?

Answer 12

• Bullies display lower moral sensitivity, understanding right and wrong less effectively.

Study: Gasser & Keller (2009):
Participants: 7–8-year-old children.
Methodology: Hypothetical moral dilemmas assessing sensitivity.

Question 13

What role do bystanders play in bullying dynamics?

Answer 13

• Bystanders are present in most bullying incidents, with many reinforcing the bully.

Study: Salmivalli et al. (1996):
20–29% reinforced or assisted bullies, but only 10% were uninvolved.
Methodology: Peer reports on bullying roles.

Question 14

How do assistant and reinforcer roles influence bullying behavior?

Answer 14

• Assistants help execute bullying, while reinforcers provide verbal or non-verbal encouragement.

Methodology: Observational studies of group dynamics during bullying incidents.

Question 15

How does bullying impact victims’ mental health?

Answer 15

• Victims often experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and academic difficulties.

Study: Hawker & Boulton (2000):
Methodology: Meta-analysis of 23 studies.

Findings: Consistent links between bullying victimization and mental health issues, especially anxiety and depression.

Question 16

What distinguishes bully-victims from other roles in bullying?

Answer 16

• Bully-victims: Experience victimization while also bullying others.

Often face the worst mental health outcomes due to experiencing and inflicting harm.

Methodology: Surveys and peer reports categorizing roles and psychological effects.

Question 17

What are the gender differences in bullying roles?

Answer 17

• Boys are more likely to engage in physical bullying, while girls more often engage in relational bullying (e.g., gossip, exclusion).

Study: Wang et al. (2009):
Methodology: Surveys analyzing gender-specific bullying behaviors across age groups.

Question 18

What did Crick & Grotpeter (1995) find about relational aggression?

Answer 18

• Relational aggression (e.g., social exclusion, rumor spreading) is a significant form of bullying among girls.

Methodology:
Peer and teacher reports assessing relational aggression in elementary school children.

Question 19

How do whole-school anti-bullying policies reduce bullying?

Answer 19

• Clear rules, disciplinary measures, and active campaigns increase accountability and reduce bullying behaviors.

Study: Evaluations of programs like Olweus Bullying Prevention Program.
Methodology: Longitudinal studies measuring bullying rates before and after implementation.