Summary of My Academic Research

Doctoral Research

My doctoral research addressed, from a child’s perspective, where bullying exists in children’s experiences of school. Bullying was examined between pupils, and between pupils and teachers, and systemic bullying was also investigated. A range of severities of bullying were examined from clear to ‘grey’; and different perspectives and feelings of children were taken into account. Traditional definitions were challenged which distinguish bullying as a specific form of aggression, experienced by a minority of people. Instead, the affects bullying has on all children was taken into account. Data was drawn from observations, focus groups and individual interviews with children aged 10-16.

It was found that although most children experienced characteristics of bullying such as name-calling and humiliation, which often caused them distress, few children considered it as bullying and no-one referred to themselves as a bully. Children focused on the bullying they experienced from pupils and teachers but did not realise how they may have subjected them to bullying. Teachers were under surveillance to ensure children conformed to education norms and to instil disciplinary measures in school which contributed to certain children feeling ‘picked on’. Although bullying was found to be multi-causal, a particular finding was the role played by boredom. Several working-class males from particularly economically deprived backgrounds with learning difficulties, and some females from this background, often felt ‘picked on’ by their teachers and increasingly targeted for punishment, which usually increased their boredom. Subsequently, many of them retaliated aggressively and engaged in bullying other pupils and their teachers. Another reason children bully is to be popular and exercise social power over others. Children who engaged in bullying who were popular were often admired and respected. Traditional ways of identifying “bullies” can be used to target those already marginalised such as working-class males from particularly economically deprived background who have learning difficulties whilst more sophisticated bullying is usually accepted and approved of.

Post doctoral Research

My post-doctoral research has focused on designing implementing and evaluating pupil-led interventions to tackle bullying. Data is drawn from observations, interviews and focus groups with children aged 9-11, and support staff. Pupils were firstly interviewed individually about their experiences of bullying, and support staff were interviewed in a focus group about children’s experiences of bullying. Following this, children and staff were interviewed in focus groups about how to design an intervention. The intervention was implemented which including working with pupils to find solutions to tackle their specific experiences of bullying, for example, understanding the persepctives of those who bully; and learning how to internally and externally challenge their bullying respectfully rather than retaliating. A mentoring programme was implemented for a child who persistently engaged in bullying to teach him how to respond more respectfully, and mediation was provided between children who were in conflict with one another. Children also wrote regularly in diaries about their experiences of bullying, and how they felt as a consequence. At the end of the intervention, pupils met with staff to discuss what they had learned and provide recommendations of how practices in school could improve to tackle bullying. The intervention was then evaluated in focus groups with staff and pupils. The intervention dramatically reduced bullying and resolved the conflict between those who had been bullying each other. Children learned how to reflect more, support others who were bullied, and effectively articulate their voice rather than retaliate towards aggression. Strategies developed from this book have been adapted to delivering pupil-led interventions and mentoring in other schools, led to CPD provision in schools and the workplace, and have been included in my book ‘The Teacher’s Guide to Resolving School Bullying: Evidence-based Strategies and Pupil-Led Interventions’.