The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform
Utilizing an interactionist perspective, two associated sensitizing constructs, and a combination of social psychological theory, this article reports on the influence of the peer group on individual perceptions, and its impact on initiation and persistence of bullying. The specific research questio...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Sage Publications
2008
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36851 |
| _version_ | 1848754885575573504 |
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| author | Burns, Sharyn Maycock, Bruce Cross, D. Brown, G. |
| author_facet | Burns, Sharyn Maycock, Bruce Cross, D. Brown, G. |
| author_sort | Burns, Sharyn |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | Utilizing an interactionist perspective, two associated sensitizing constructs, and a combination of social psychological theory, this article reports on the influence of the peer group on individual perceptions, and its impact on initiation and persistence of bullying. The specific research question, “How does the need to conform with peers and the peer group influence the initiation and persistence of bullying others?” is investigated. Semistructured, one-on-one interviews with a purposive sample of 51 Grade 7 students (aged 12 years) were conducted during school time to investigate factors that influence students to bully others and what might help them to stop. Emerging from the theme of peer group was the need for belonging and group status, in particular social norms or the need to conform, which was influential when students described why they initiated and persisted with bullying others. The influence of labeling, the group process, and the aspiration to be like others within their group emerged as key constructs. The implications of these data for schools will be described and recommendations made. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:47:31Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-36851 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T08:47:31Z |
| publishDate | 2008 |
| publisher | Sage Publications |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-368512018-03-29T09:08:51Z The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform Burns, Sharyn Maycock, Bruce Cross, D. Brown, G. semistructured group interaction at-risk grounded theory children interviews health behavior youth health promotion Utilizing an interactionist perspective, two associated sensitizing constructs, and a combination of social psychological theory, this article reports on the influence of the peer group on individual perceptions, and its impact on initiation and persistence of bullying. The specific research question, “How does the need to conform with peers and the peer group influence the initiation and persistence of bullying others?” is investigated. Semistructured, one-on-one interviews with a purposive sample of 51 Grade 7 students (aged 12 years) were conducted during school time to investigate factors that influence students to bully others and what might help them to stop. Emerging from the theme of peer group was the need for belonging and group status, in particular social norms or the need to conform, which was influential when students described why they initiated and persisted with bullying others. The influence of labeling, the group process, and the aspiration to be like others within their group emerged as key constructs. The implications of these data for schools will be described and recommendations made. 2008 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36851 10.1177/1049732308325865 Sage Publications restricted |
| spellingShingle | semistructured group interaction at-risk grounded theory children interviews health behavior youth health promotion Burns, Sharyn Maycock, Bruce Cross, D. Brown, G. The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform |
| title | The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform |
| title_full | The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform |
| title_fullStr | The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform |
| title_full_unstemmed | The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform |
| title_short | The Power of Peers: Why Some Students Bully Others to Conform |
| title_sort | power of peers: why some students bully others to conform |
| topic | semistructured group interaction at-risk grounded theory children interviews health behavior youth health promotion |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/36851 |