Abstract
The aim of the present study was to explore how teenagers explain why bullying takes place at school, and whether there were
any differences in explaining bullying due to gender and prior bullying experiences. One hundred and seventy-six Swedish students
in Grade 9 responded to a questionnaire. Mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative methods) were used to analyze data. The
grounded theory analysis generated five main categories and 26 sub categories regarding accounts of bullying causes. Results
indicated that youth tended to explain bullying in terms of individualistic reasons (bully attributing and victim attributing)
than in terms of peer group, school setting, or human nature/society reasons. Girls were more likely to attribute bullying
causes to the bully and much less to the victim, compared to boys. Moreover, youth classified as bullies were more likely
to attribute the reason for bullying to the victim and much less to the bully, compared to victims, bystanders, and victims/bullies.
any differences in explaining bullying due to gender and prior bullying experiences. One hundred and seventy-six Swedish students
in Grade 9 responded to a questionnaire. Mixed methods (qualitative and quantitative methods) were used to analyze data. The
grounded theory analysis generated five main categories and 26 sub categories regarding accounts of bullying causes. Results
indicated that youth tended to explain bullying in terms of individualistic reasons (bully attributing and victim attributing)
than in terms of peer group, school setting, or human nature/society reasons. Girls were more likely to attribute bullying
causes to the bully and much less to the victim, compared to boys. Moreover, youth classified as bullies were more likely
to attribute the reason for bullying to the victim and much less to the bully, compared to victims, bystanders, and victims/bullies.
- Content Type Journal Article
- DOI 10.1007/s10566-010-9129-z
- Authors
- Robert Thornberg, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Sven Knutsen, Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning, Linköping University, SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
- Journal Child and Youth Care Forum
- Online ISSN 1573-3319
- Print ISSN 1053-1890