Understanding Bullying in an Affluent, Academically Rigorous U.S. High School: A Grounded Theory Analysis

Abstract

Students and staff members from a U.S. high school were asked to discuss their understanding of bullying within the context of their school social environment. Findings from the grounded theory analysis suggest that understandings of bullying are socially constructed and that how bullying is understood is influenced by context and by the negotiation of identity within that context. Furthermore, subjects focused on drama, a form of social interaction considered far more common than bullying. Findings suggest that research on bullying may benefit from shifting its emphasis on defining bullying and establishing prevalence, to exploring youths' contextual and developmental perspectives.

Keywords:

• Understanding bullying
• bullying in schools
• drama
• adolescent social drama
• negotiating identity
• elitism

Notes

1. Free or reduced lunch indicates at or below the poverty level.

2. http://www.city-data.com

3. Only one staff member who had been a member of the team working on the bullying initiative declined to be interviewed.

4. Parts of the Results and Discussion sections are reproduced from the author's doctoral dissertation (Allen, 2012b).