Page 110 - Ana Kozina and Nora Wiium, eds. ▪︎ Positive Youth Development in Contexts. Ljubljana: Educational Research Institute, 2021. Digital Library, Dissertationes (Scientific Monographs), 42.
P. 110
positive youth development in contexts
Unlike initial conceptualisations that described bullying as an event usu-
ally occurring in a bully–victim dyadic relationship, typically in private
or secret settings, contemporary studies (e.g. Bouman et al., 2012; Craig
et al., 2000) show that bullying is mostly a public event with many partic-
ipants; its influence reaches far beyond the relationship of bully and vic-
tim. The behaviour of bystanders (usually classmates) plays an important
role in the occurrence and maintenance of bullying: their responses in bul-
lying situations hold the potential to either prevent the bullying or intensi-
fy it. Students who bully are often motivated by the social power and status
they gain from bullying (Olthof et al., 2011; Salmivalli, 2014). The reactions
of peers as bystanders in bullying situations are those determining wheth-
er popularity and social status in the group can be achieved with the stra-
tegic use of bullying behaviour.
The contextual factors as predictors and moderators of bullying
Understanding the factors that predict bullying is crucial if we are to en-
sure the design of effective bullying prevention and intervention strate-
gies. Victimisation and bullying behaviour are complex phenomena with
a broad variety of factors that influence the probability of an individual
being involved in the bullying process as either a victim or perpetrator.
Previous studies (see Menesini & Salmivalli, 2017) indicated that the lev-
el of an individual’s victimisation and bullying behaviour may be predict-
ed by various factors appearing on different levels – school, classroom and
individual. Some students’ individual characteristics, such as internalising
problems and lack of peer support, were found to increase their vulnerabil-
ity to victimisation (Cook et al., 2010; Kljakovic and Hunt, 2016, Košir et al.,
2020). Among individual-level predictors of bullying behaviour, a strong
desire for power and status and high perceived popularity has been consist-
ently reported (Caravita et al., 2012; de Bruyn et al., 2010; Košir et al., 2020;
Olthof et al., 2011; Sijtsema et al., 2009).
Further, the school environment can also significantly determine the
frequency and intensity of bullying; certain school- and classroom-level
characteristics were found to predict victimisation and bullying as well as
moderate the relationship between individual-level characteristics and vic-
timisation/bullying. Studies that have investigated the school-level factors
of bullying provide quite diverse data on the share of variance in bully-
ing explained by differences between schools (e.g. up to 2% in a sample of
American adolescents, Bradshaw et al., 2009; 9%–15% in a sample of Israeli
110
Unlike initial conceptualisations that described bullying as an event usu-
ally occurring in a bully–victim dyadic relationship, typically in private
or secret settings, contemporary studies (e.g. Bouman et al., 2012; Craig
et al., 2000) show that bullying is mostly a public event with many partic-
ipants; its influence reaches far beyond the relationship of bully and vic-
tim. The behaviour of bystanders (usually classmates) plays an important
role in the occurrence and maintenance of bullying: their responses in bul-
lying situations hold the potential to either prevent the bullying or intensi-
fy it. Students who bully are often motivated by the social power and status
they gain from bullying (Olthof et al., 2011; Salmivalli, 2014). The reactions
of peers as bystanders in bullying situations are those determining wheth-
er popularity and social status in the group can be achieved with the stra-
tegic use of bullying behaviour.
The contextual factors as predictors and moderators of bullying
Understanding the factors that predict bullying is crucial if we are to en-
sure the design of effective bullying prevention and intervention strate-
gies. Victimisation and bullying behaviour are complex phenomena with
a broad variety of factors that influence the probability of an individual
being involved in the bullying process as either a victim or perpetrator.
Previous studies (see Menesini & Salmivalli, 2017) indicated that the lev-
el of an individual’s victimisation and bullying behaviour may be predict-
ed by various factors appearing on different levels – school, classroom and
individual. Some students’ individual characteristics, such as internalising
problems and lack of peer support, were found to increase their vulnerabil-
ity to victimisation (Cook et al., 2010; Kljakovic and Hunt, 2016, Košir et al.,
2020). Among individual-level predictors of bullying behaviour, a strong
desire for power and status and high perceived popularity has been consist-
ently reported (Caravita et al., 2012; de Bruyn et al., 2010; Košir et al., 2020;
Olthof et al., 2011; Sijtsema et al., 2009).
Further, the school environment can also significantly determine the
frequency and intensity of bullying; certain school- and classroom-level
characteristics were found to predict victimisation and bullying as well as
moderate the relationship between individual-level characteristics and vic-
timisation/bullying. Studies that have investigated the school-level factors
of bullying provide quite diverse data on the share of variance in bully-
ing explained by differences between schools (e.g. up to 2% in a sample of
American adolescents, Bradshaw et al., 2009; 9%–15% in a sample of Israeli
110
