Interactional styles of bullies and victims observed in a competitive and a cooperative setting

Observational data were used to examine the interactional styles of bullies and victims while they participated in 2 different games: 1 cooperative and 1 competitive. Participants included 17 bullies, 18 victims, and 35 controls (all aged 8-11 years) selected through a peer nomination questionnaire. Bullies and victims were observed 4 times in total: twice during the cooperative game and twice during the competitive game, each time paired with a partner of opposite status or control status. Results indicated that when bullies and victims interacted together, bullies showed a dominant style in the dyad, often regulating and opposing victims' initiatives. Victims, on the other hand, complied with bullies' requests and presented a submissive style of interaction. However, interactions involving control partners indicated that (a) bullies opposed those partners' initiatives less frequently and (b) victims tended to affirm themselves by asking for help and explanations. These data provide evidence for an interactional model in explaining the dynamics between bullies and victims.