Topics of Interest

Beyond the Bully-Victim Dyad

Untitled, Zack, age 9

Early studies on bullying focused on the behavior of the bully or the victim, or the bully-victim dyad. Current approaches often adopt an ecological perspective (e.g., Bronfenbrenner, 1977; Swearer & Doll, 2001), which also examines the broader context (and especially the many interrelated systems of the environment) in which bullying occurs. For example, ecological approaches to bullying have directed our attention to how school playground design may influence types of play and levels of aggression. Other theoretical perspectives--such as dynamic systems theory and systems theory--have also extended the scope of study beyond the bully-victim dyad (Pepler, Craig, & O'Connell, 1999). For instance, recent studies have begun to examine the role that peers play in sustaining or discouraging school bullying (e.g., Espelage & Holt, 2001), including the role of passive observers or bystanders (e.g., Jeffrey, Miller, & Linn, 2001).

This section is devoted to discussions that extend our thinking about bullying beyond the bully-victim dyad. We believe that in our various roles (as peers, teachers, principals, parents, members of the school board, members of the community, etc.), we may all play a part in a larger system that either works to sustain, or to stop, school bullying.

Get Off the Slide: Stopping Playground Bullying / Amanda Wagner
(Word Version, PDF Version)

Beyond the Bully Victim Dyad: The Role of Peers in Bullying Relationships / Adrienne Manarina
(Word Version, PDF Version)

References

Bronfenbrenner, U. (1977). Toward an experimental ecology of human development. American Psychologist, 32, 513-531.

Espelage, D. L., & Holt, M. K. (2001). Bullying and victimization during early adolescence: Peer influences and psychosocial correlates. In R. A. Geffner, M. Loring, & C. Young (Eds.), Bullying behavior: Current issues, research and interventions, (pp. 123-142). New York: Haworth.

Jeffrey, L. R., Miller, D., & Linn, M. (2001). Middle school bullying as a context for the development of passive observers to the victimization of others. In R. A. Geffner, M. Loring, & C. Young (Eds.), Bullying behavior: Current issues, research and interventions, (pp. 143-156). New York: Haworth.

Pepler, D., Craig, W. M., & O'Connell, P. (1999). Understanding bullying from a dynamic systems perspective. In A. Slater & D. Muir (Eds.), Developmental Psychology (pp. 440 - 451). London: Blackwell.

Swearer, S. M., & Doll, B. (2001). Bullying in schools: An ecological framework. In R. A. Geffner, M. Loring, & C. Young (Eds.), Bullying behavior: Current issues, research and interventions, (pp. 7-23). New York: Haworth.