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Abstract
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BACKGROUND:
Bullying among young people has been acknowledged as a public health concern. Relational bullying is the systematic manipulation and damage of peer relationships; the way in which it is perceived can influence detection and interventions, in view of this, relational bullying warranted further exploration from the perspectives of young people.
Aim:
To understand the experience and perception of relational bullying among young people.
Methods:
A qualitative approach underpinned the undertaking of 11 face-to-face interviews with young people aged 12-18 years. Data was thematically analysed.
Findings:
Seven themes emerged: The complexity of defining bullying, The role of friends; Negative impacts, Social media, Normalisation, Personal resources to aid navigation, External resources to aid navigation.
Conclusions:
Factors that help and hinder the navigation of relational bullying were identified, the family playing a crucial role in mitigating the negative effects. The findings have the potential to be relevant to other forms of bullying.
Language: en |