Harassment and bullying becoming a ‘vicious cycle’, research finds

·

Joint research conducted by Flinders University and the University of Thessaly in Greece has shown that students’ emotional resilience is linked to their chances of being victimised, with less resilient students more likely to suffer from harassment, reducing their well-being.

The study also found that female students display lower emotional resilience, along with older students. Higher levels of resilience and well-being tended to go with being bullied less often, being a boy, and being younger.

The results were found to be troubling for female and older students, with existing research suggesting resilient adolescents are less likely to be either victims or bullies, and to suffer less emotional damage from bullying scenarios.

“These results show that bullied adolescents may develop different ways of protecting themselves from bullying, depending on their age and gender,” researchers say.

Photo: Raisingchildren.net.au

One of the authors, Dr Grace Skrzypiec, is from Flinders University, and another, Dr Eleni Didaskalou, was a Visiting Fellow there. The lead author, Dr Eleni Andreou, is from the University of Thessaly. Their study is part of a transnational research project and involved 558 students from grades 6-10.

“Research shows that adolescents with an optimal level of well‐being are more likely to demonstrate appropriate academic skills, have higher levels of school attendance and pro‐social behaviour, and be less likely to bully others.”

The study also found that gender and year level did not affect how often a student becomes a victim of bullying, and that boys and girls are likely to experience different types of harassment.

“Overt physical and verbal aggression appears to be more common among boys, whereas girls are more likely to experience underhanded bullying like spreading rumours,” the researchers say.

“There is some recent evidence that during adolescence, boys are more vulnerable to victimisation across different contexts, whereas girls’ victimisation may take place partly in their close friendships”

The researchers identified a need for schools and policymakers to address well-being and harassment support to students in a manner informed by their age and gender, noting that a one-size-fits-all approach may not work.

“Resilience‐based anti‐bullying interventions cannot be developed in the sense of ‘an approach that suits everyone’s needs.’ Potential resilience‐based anti‐bullying interventions should take into account that adolescents’ adjustment after being victimised may be affected by their age and gender.”

Advertisement

Share:

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH TGH

By subscribing you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy.

Advertisement

Latest News

Earlwood’s Greek spirit centre stage as ‘Plateia’ Festival secures state funding

The City of Canterbury Bankstown will host the “Love Earlwood” festival thanks to the NSW Government’s Open Streets 2025-28 Program.

Greek Consul General honoured at Hellenic Club farewell event in Sydney

Sydney’s Greek community came together on Thursday for a dignified farewell dinner in honour of Greece’s Consul General, Ioannis Mallikourtis

Field of candidates announced for 2025 Greek Community of Melbourne Board election

Greek Community of Melbourne has officially called elections for a new Board of Directors, with members set to head to the polls on June 29.

Australia Cup 2025: Strong Greek heritage club presence as Final 32 locked in

The cast for the Hahn Australia Cup 2025 Round of 32 has been decided following the completion of the Preliminary Rounds.

Apostolakis and Trimis named on Young Matildas squad for upcoming training camp

CommBank Young Matildas Head Coach Alex Epakis has settled on a 32-player squad for a domestic training camp to be held in Sydney.

You May Also Like

Agios Efstratios becomes Greece’s first fully green, energy-autonomous island

The northern Aegean island of Agios Efstratios (Ai Stratis) has successfully completed a pilot project to run entirely on green energy.

Greek olive oil poised for growth in booming Australian market

A study by the Economic and Commercial Affairs Office of the Greek Consulate in Sydney highlights strong opportunities for Greek olive oil.

Andrew Pippos’ Lucky’s shortlisted in PM’s Literary Awards

Andrew Pippos’ 'Lucky's' - an ode to Greek Australian diners - has been shortlisted for the fiction prize in the PM's Literary Awards.