Risk and protective factors of bullying and victimisation in New Zealand adolescents: A qualitative and quantitative inquiry.

Abstract

Bullying is global issue for adolescents that has negative outcomes for bullies and victims. This thesis aims to address gaps in the literature such that a clear picture of the nature of bullying and victimisation can be established to help prevent these phenomena. Semi-structured group interviews were conducted with New Zealand adolescents to examine what they thought caused bullying and victimisation. Identified causes of victimisation included individual factors like being different, social factors like having few friends and system factors like school problems. Bullying was attributed to individual factors, social factors, and home factors such as family difficulties. The findings align with several models of bullying and victimisation indicating that an integrative theory may best explain the behaviour. The dynamics of bullying and victimisation were then examined in 1774 New Zealand adolescents surveyed over three years as part of the Youth Connectedness project (YCP). Rates of bullying and victimisation were elevated relative to international samples. No gender differences were found and ethnic group differences were found only for specific types of bullying. Identified protective factors to later bullying included social support and positive affect. Protective factors to victimisation included social support, positive affect, body satisfaction, confidence and sense of school community. Media exposure was a risk for later bullying and having a disability was a risk for victimisation. The qualitative findings identified a reciprocal relationship between bullying and victimisation which was partially confirmed in the YCP sample, with bullying predicting victimisation but victimisation failing to predict bullying. Differences were also noted between traditional forms of bullying and victimisation inside and outside the school and cyber forms over the internet and via text message. Collectively, the findings add to the body of literature regarding bullying and victimisation theory, predictors, within New Zealand, across time and in adolescents. This thesis also adds to the literature by examining the relationship between bullying and victimisation as well as the different types of cyber and traditional bullying and victimisation.