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What actually makes bullying stop? Reports from former victims
Ann Frisén1, Tove Hasselblad, Kristina Holmqvist
1Department of Psychology, University of Gothenburg, Box 500, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. ann.frisen@psy.gu.se
Journal of Adolescence
|April 6, 2012
Summary
School bullying cessation often resulted from victims transitioning to new school levels or altering coping strategies, not solely from peer support. While school personnel support was cited, it was less common than these other factors for ending bullying.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Sociology
- Education
Background:
- School bullying is a pervasive global issue requiring effective intervention strategies.
- Understanding cessation factors from victim perspectives is crucial for developing targeted anti-bullying programs.
- Sweden's low bullying prevalence and extensive school anti-bullying efforts provide a unique context for this study.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the primary reasons former school bullying victims cited for the cessation of bullying.
- To explore the role of school personnel, peer support, and individual coping mechanisms in ending bullying.
Main Methods:
- A survey was conducted with 273 18-year-old former school bullying victims in Sweden.
- Participants were asked to identify the factors that led to the end of their bullying experiences.
Main Results:
- Support from school personnel was the most frequently reported reason for bullying cessation, mentioned by approximately 25% of participants.
- Transitioning to a new school level or adopting new coping strategies were nearly as common reasons for bullying to end.
- Peer support was rarely cited as a factor in the cessation of bullying.
Conclusions:
- While school personnel support is valuable, it is not the sole or most common factor in ending school bullying for all victims.
- Individual agency, such as changing schools or coping mechanisms, plays a significant role in bullying cessation.
- Further research should explore the interplay between systemic interventions and individual-level factors in addressing school bullying effectively.
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