Bullying in Cyprus: Perceptions regarding the pupils’ involvement
Published:
Oct 15, 2020
Keywords:
School bullying Perceptions Involvement (victim bully witness)
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of bullying among secondary and high school pupils in Cyprus and to present the differences according to age, gender and involvement. The survey involved 514 pupils aged between 13 and 16 years who answered a self-reported closed questionnaire. According to the findings, girls are more negative about bullying than boys. Only pupils aged 13 show fear of the bully and feel a need for his/her punishment but they also point out that the victim may provoke the bully; meanwhile pupils aged 16 are more supportive of the idea that the bully harms the victims. In addition the victims, the victims/witnesses, the witnesses and those pupils who are not involved demonstrate fear of the bully, seek his/her punishment and are supportive of the weak victims. In contrast, those in the bullies’ category show no fear of the bully, do not agree with punishment and do not consider the victims to have been harmed.
Article Details
- How to Cite
-
Madoglou, A., & Dimitriou, S. (2020). Bullying in Cyprus: Perceptions regarding the pupils’ involvement. Psychology: The Journal of the Hellenic Psychological Society, 21(2), 113–129. https://doi.org/10.12681/psy_hps.23271
- Issue
- Vol. 21 No. 2 (2014)
- Section
- RESEARCH PAPERS
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
The journal PSYCHOLOGY adopts a Platinum open-access policy. Submission, processing or publication costs are waived by the Hellenic Psychological Society. Papers published in the journal PSYCHOLOGY are licensed under a 'Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International' licence. The authors reserve the copyright of their work and grant the journal the right of its first publication. Third-party licensees are allowed to use the published paper immediately after publication as they wish, provided they retain the defined by the license copyright formalities, regarding the reference to its author(s) and its initial publication in the journal PSYCHOLOGY. Moreover, any adjusted work should be shared under the same reuse rights, so with the same CC license.
Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
Aluede, O., Adeleke, f., Omoike, D., & Afen- Akpaida,
J. (2008). A review of the extent, nature, characteristics
and effects of bullying behavior in
schools. Journal of Instructional Psychology,
(2), 151-158.
Andreou, E., Vlachou, A., & Didaskalou, E. (2005). The
roles of self-efficacy, peer interactions and attitudes
in bully-victim incidents: Implications for intervention
policy-practices. School Psychology International,
(5), 545-562.
Askew, S. (1989). Aggressive behavior in boys: To
what extent is it institutionalized? In D. P. Tattum
& D. L. Lane (Eds.), Bullying in schools (pp. 59-
. Stoke-on-Trent: Trentham Books.
Baldry, A.C. (2004). “What about bullying?” An experimental
field study to understand students’ attitudes
towards bullying and victimization in Italian
middle schools. British Journal of Educational Psychology,
, 583-598.
Bentley, K.M., & Li, A.K.f. (1995). Bully and victim
problems in elementary schools and students’ beliefs
about aggression. Canadian Journal of
School Psychology, 11(2), 153-165.
Bibou-Nakou, I., Tsiantis, J., Assimopoulos, H.,
Chatzilambou, P., & Giannakopoulou, D. (2012).
School factors related to bullying: A qualitative
study of early adolescent students. Social Psychology
of Education, 15(2), 125-145.
Boulton, M.J., Trueman, M., & flemington, I. (2002).
Associations between secondary school pupils’
definitions of bullying, attitudes towards bullying,
and tendencies to engage in bullying: Age and
sex differences. Educational Studies, 28(4), 353-
Boulton, M.J., & Smith, P.K. (1994). Bully/victim problems
in middle school children: Stability, self-perceived
competence, peer perceptions and peer
acceptance. British Journal of Developmental Psychology,
(3), 315-329.
Burr, V. (1998). Gender and social psychology. London:
Routledge.
Eriksson, B., Lindberg, O., flygare, E., & Daneback, K.
(2002). Skolan en arena fοr mobbning. Εn forskningsοversikt
och diskussion kring mobbning i
skolan. Skolverket Kalmar: form & Tryck.
Eslea, M., Menesini, E., Morita, Y., O’Moore, M., Mora-
Merchan, J.A., Pereira, B., & Smith, P.K. (2004).
friendship and loneliness among bullies and victims:
Data from seven countries. Aggressive Behavior,
(1), 71-83.
Georgiou, S. N., & Stavrinides, P. (2008). Bullies, victims
and bully-victims: Psychosocial profiles and
attribution styles. School Psychology International,
(5), 574-589.
Hamarus, P., & Kaikkonen, P. (2008). School bullying
as a creator of pupil peer pressure. Educational
Research, 50(4), 333-345.
Holt, M.K., Kaufman Kantor, G., & finkelhor, D. (2009).
Parent/child concordance about bullying involvement
and family characteristics related to bullying
and peer victimization. Journal of School Violence,
(1), 42-63.
u Anna Madoglou and Stefani Dimitriou
Houndoumadi, A., & Pateraki, L. (2001). Bullying and
bullies in Greek elementary schools: pupils’ attitudes
and teachers’/parents’ awareness. Educational
Review, 53(1), 19-26.
Kumpulainen, K., Räsänen, E., Henttonen,
I., Almqvist, f., Kresanov, K., Linna, S.L., Moilanen,
I., Piha, J., Puura, K., Tamminen, T. (1998).
Bullying and psychiatric symptoms among elementary
school-age children. Child Abuse and Neglect,
(7), 705-717.
Maunder, R.E., Harrop, A., & Tattersall, A.J. (2010).
Pupil and staff perceptions of bullying in secondary
schools: comparing behavioral definitions
and their perceived seriousness. Educational Research,
(3), 263-282.
Menesini, E., Camodeca, M., & Nocentini, A. (2010).
Bullying among siblings: The role of personality
and relational variables. British Journal of Developmental
Psychology, 28(4), 921-939.
Menesini, E., Eslea, M., Smith, P. K., Genta, M. L., Giannetti,
E., fonzi, A., & Costabile, A. (1997).
Cross-national comparison of children’s attitudes
towards bully/victim problems in school. Aggressive
Behavior, 23(4), 245-257.
Nansel, T.R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R.S., Ruan, W.J., Simons-
Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying
behaviors among US youth. Prevalence and association
with Psychosocial Adjustment. The Journal
of the American Medical Association, 285(16),
-2100.
Naylor, P., Cowie, H., Cossin, f., Bettencourt, R., &
Lemme, f. (2006). Teachers’ and pupils’ definitions
of bullying. British Journal of Educational
Psychology, 76(3), 553-576.
Ojala, K., & Nesdale, D. (2004). Bullying and social
identity: The effects of group norms and distinctiveness
threat on attitudes towards bullying.
British Journal of Developmental Psychology,
(1), 19-35.
Olweus, D. (1978). Aggression in the schools: bullies
and whipping boys. Washington DC: Hemisphere.
Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know
and what we can do. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell.
Olweus, D. (1994). Annotation: Bullying at school: Basic
facts and effects of a school based intervention
program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry,
(7), 1171-1190.
Ortega, R., Elipe, P., Mora-Merch
J., & Vega, E. (2009). The emotional impact on
victims of traditional bullying and cyberbullying: A
study of Spanish adolescents. Journal Of Psychology,
(4), 197-204.
Parker, J.G., & Asher, S.R. (1987). Peer relations and later
personal adjustment: Are low- accepted children
‘at risk’? Psychological Bulletin, 102(3), 357-389.
Pellegrini, A.D., & Bartini, M. (2000). A longitudinal
study of bullying, victimization, and peer affiliation
during the transition from primary school to middle
school. American Educational Research Journal,
(3), 699-725.
Pellegrini, A.D., Bartini, M., & Brooks, f. (1999).
School bullies, victims, and aggressive victims:
factors relating top group affiliation and victimization
in early adolescence. Journal of Educational
Psychology, 91(2), 216-224.
Psalti, A. (2012). Bullies, victims, and bully-victims in
Greek schools: Research data and implications
for practice. Hellenic Journal of Psychology, 9(2),
-157.
Rigby, K. (1996). Bullying in schools and what to do
about it. London: Jessica Kingsley.
Rigby, K. (1997). Attitudes and beliefs about bullying
among Australian school children. Irish Journal of
Psychology, 18(2), 202-220.
Rigby, K. (1999). Peer victimization at school and the
health of secondary school students. British Journal
of Educational Psychology, 69(1), 95-104.
Rigby, K. (2003). Consequences of bullying in
schools. Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 48(9),
-590.
Rigby, K., & Slee, P.T. (1991). Bullying among Australian
school children: Reported behavior and attitudes
towards victims. Journal of Social Psychology,
(13), 615-627.
Rigby, K., & Slee, P.T. (1993). Children’s attitudes towardss
victims. In D. Tattum (Ed.), Understanding
and managing bullying (pp.119-135). Oxford:
Heinemann.
Rigby, K., Slee, P.T., & Cunningham, R. (1999). Effects
of parenting on the peer relations of Australian
adolescents. The Journal of Social Psychology,
(3), 387-388.
Rivers, I., & Smith, K.P. (1994). Types of bullying behavior
and their correlates. Aggressive Behavior,
(5), 359-368.
Salmivalli, C., & Voeten, M. (2004). Connections between
attitudes, group norms, and behavior in
bullying situations. International Journal of Behavioral
Development, 28(3), 246-258.
Scholte, R., Sentse, M., & Granici, I. (2010). Do actions
Bullying in Cyprus: Perceptions regarding the pupils’ involvement u 127
speak louder than words? Classroom attitudes
behavior in relation to bullying in early adolescence.
Journal of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology,
(6), 789-799.
Skapinakis, P., Bellos, S., Gkatsa, T., Magklara, K.,
Lewis, G., Araya, R., Stylianidis, S., Mavreas, V.
(2011). The association between bullying and early
stages of suicidal ideation in late adolescents in
Greece. BMC Psychiatry, 11(22), http://www.
biomedcentral.com/1471-244X/11/22.
Slee, P.T. (1995). Bullying in the playground: The impact
of inter-personal violence on Australian children’s
perceptions of their play environment. Children’s
Environments, 12(3), 320-327.
Stavrinides, P., Georgiou, S., & Theofanous, V. (2010).
Bullying and empathy: a short-term longitudinal
investigation. Educational Psychology, 30(7), 793-
Stavrinides, P., Georgiou, S., Nikiforou, M., & Kiteri, E.
(2011). Longitudinal investigation of the relationship
between bullying and psychosocial adjustment.
European Journal of Developmental Psychology,
(6), 730-743.
Stavrinides, P., Paradeisiotou, A., Tziogouros, C., &
Lazarou, C. (2010). Prevalence of bullying among
Cyprus elementary and high school students. International
Journal of Violence and School, 11,
-128.
Swearer, S. M., & Espelage, D. L. (2004). Introduction:
A social-ecological framework of bullying among
youth. In D. L. Espelage & S. M. Swearer (Eds.),
Bullying in American schools: A social-ecological
perspective on prevention and invention (pp. 1-
. Mahwah, NJ: Erlbaum.
Swearer, S.M. (2001). The Bully Survey. Unpublished
manuscript. The University of Nebraska,
Lincoln.
Swearer, S.M., & Cary, P.T. (2003). Perceptions and
attitudes towards bullying in middle school youth:
A developmental examination across the bully/victim
continuum. Journal of Applied School Psychology,
(2), 63-79.
Swearer, S.M., Turner, R.K., & Givens, J.E. (2008).
“You’re so gay!”: Do different forms of bullying
matter for adolescent males? School Psychology
Review, 37(2), 160-173.
Thornberg, R. (2010). Schoolchildren’s social representations
on bullying causes. Psychology in the
Schools, 47(4), 311-327.
Veenstra, R., Lindenberg, S., Huitsing, G., Sainio, M.,
& Salmivalli, C. (2014). The role of teachers in bullying:
The relation between antibullying attitudes,
efficacy, and efforts to reduce bullying. Journal of
Educational Psychology. Advance online publication.
HYPERLINK "http://dx.doi/" http://dx.doi. org/
1037/a0036110.
