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[Pages:263]Students' Perceptions of Bullying After the Fact: A Qualitative Study of College Students' Bullying Experiences in Their K-12 Schooling William P. Williams

Dissertation submitted to the faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy In Curriculum and Instruction

Mary Alice Barksdale, Co-Chair R. Terry Graham, Co-Chair Thomas M. Gardner Robert H. Williams, Jr. Daisy Stewart

November 19, 2008 Blacksburg, Virginia Keywords: bullying, clothing and bullying, weight, victims, violence

Copyright 2008, William P. Williams

Students' Perceptions of Bullying After the Fact: A Qualitative Study of College Students' Bullying Experiences in Their K-12 Schooling William P. Williams

ABSTRACT Today students confront more than writing, reading, and arithmetic in school. Students witness and participate in various forms of bullying at an alarming rate. As educators we must help create an environment that is conducive for all students to learn. This study examines college students' definitions and perceptions of incidents of bullying that they witnessed, or where they were the victim or perpetrator. Through 41 in-depth interviews and utilizing the constant comparative method of analysis, themes were identified including reasons students bully and are bullied, such as: weight, size, clothing, being perceived as different, sexual preferences, and placement in special education. Clothing as a reason for bullying emerged as a theme that was echoed by many of those interviewed. Whether it was the brand name of the clothes, where they were purchased, or the style of the clothes, several participants were bullied and bullied others because of clothing. Participants' definitions of bullying were from the perspective of those who are bullied, bully, and who have witnessed bullying, and included defining emotional bullying. Other students noted in their definitions the role of groups and the role of power in incidents of bullying. Unique to this study were participants' recollections of regrets. These regrets were from those participants who had participated as a bully or as a witness. In addition, themes that emerged in the data included: how students perceive teachers' involvement in incidents of bullying, ways to reduce bullying in schools, where bullying occurs, and why some people bully.

Acknowledgments With the completion of this dissertation, I am prompted to thoughts of the road that led me to this point and those along the way to whom I am greatly indebted. This process would not have been as meaningful without my best friend and spouse, Angela Williams. She has provided constant support and encouragement from when she first suggested I go into teaching and for this, and much else, I thank her and acknowledge her assistance on every facet of my life. I also wish to acknowledge and thank my family, without whom none of this would have been possible. I thank my mother, Susan Williams, and my late father, Randall Williams, as they endured a lot as I grew up and challenged teachers and administrators. They were the ones who encouraged me to pursue a college degree, and that has made a major difference in my life. My grandparents also deserve much credit, as they made college possible, life bearable, and growing up easy. My grandmother, Mary Schroeder and my grandfather, the late John Z. Schroeder Sr., never failed in their love and encouragement and for this I will always be grateful. My sister, Rhonda Malkowski, and my brother, Todd Williams, have been encouraging and supportive and I am glad to have them in my life. Special thanks to Mary Alice Barksdale whose professional advice and guidance have offered me opportunities I would have never imagined. She has motivated me in all aspects of my professional life. She is a very dedicated teacher and researcher whose example is unparalleled. I also acknowledge and thank Terry Graham who has been an inspiration and who stuck it out with me when times were tough. I am thankful for Mary Alice and Terry's friendship and the support they have given me over the years. I am also thankful to Tom Gardner for sticking with this project and offering insights as I navigated this

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endeavor. Robert Williams' perspective has been of great help in this endeavor and in other professional activities. A special thanks to Daisy Stewart who jumped in towards the end and provided much appreciated feedback. I also acknowledge and thank the participants from Virginia Tech who trusted me with their personal stories. They made this research possible. Their insights, time, and trust are greatly valued.

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Table of Contents

Abstract .......................................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................................... v Preface .......................................................................................................................................................... vii Chapter One: Introduction .............................................................................................................................. 1

Purpose ....................................................................................................................................................... 3 Theory: Anomie ......................................................................................................................................... 3 Significance of the Present Study ............................................................................................................... 6 Research Question ...................................................................................................................................... 8 Chapter Two: Literature Review .................................................................................................................... 9 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................ 9 Theoretical Perspectives on School Bullying ............................................................................................. 9

Functionalism ....................................................................................................................................... 10 Biological Theories .............................................................................................................................. 11 Social Learning Theory ........................................................................................................................ 12 Social Disorganization Theory ............................................................................................................. 14 Anomie ................................................................................................................................................. 15 Prevalence ................................................................................................................................................ 18 Explanations ............................................................................................................................................. 22 Introduction .......................................................................................................................................... 22 School Culture ...................................................................................................................................... 23 Conduct Disorders ................................................................................................................................ 27 Depression, Anxiety, and Life Satisfaction .......................................................................................... 29 Parents and Exposure ........................................................................................................................... 31 Location................................................................................................................................................ 33 Drug Use and Weapon Carrying........................................................................................................... 35 Prevention................................................................................................................................................. 37 Suspension and Expulsion .................................................................................................................... 38 Zero Tolerance Policies ........................................................................................................................ 39 Security Devices ................................................................................................................................... 40 Prediction.............................................................................................................................................. 41 Curriculum............................................................................................................................................ 45 School Culture ...................................................................................................................................... 50 Need for More Research........................................................................................................................... 55 Chapter Three: Research Methodology ........................................................................................................ 57 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 57 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................... 57 Definitions ................................................................................................................................................ 57 Qualitative Research................................................................................................................................. 59 Strategy of Inquiry................................................................................................................................ 59 Sample in Qualitative Research............................................................................................................ 61 Questionnaire........................................................................................................................................ 62 Pilot Study ............................................................................................................................................ 62 Participants ........................................................................................................................................... 62

Procedure for selecting participants.................................................................................................. 63 Interview participants. ...................................................................................................................... 65 Interview Procedures ............................................................................................................................ 65 Researcher's Journal............................................................................................................................. 66 Confidentiality ...................................................................................................................................... 68 Analysis ................................................................................................................................................ 69 Chapter Four: Results ................................................................................................................................... 70 Definitions of Bullying............................................................................................................................. 70 Overall Definitions of Bullying ............................................................................................................ 70

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Emotional Bullying .............................................................................................................................. 75 Role of Power in Bullying .................................................................................................................... 78 Role of Groups in Bullying .................................................................................................................. 82 The Role Appearance Plays in Bullying................................................................................................... 86 Weight .................................................................................................................................................. 86 Size ....................................................................................................................................................... 96 Clothing ...............................................................................................................................................102 Being Different ....................................................................................................................................116 Student Views of Prevention ...................................................................................................................147 Nothing Can Be Done .........................................................................................................................148 Stricter Rules .......................................................................................................................................150 Teacher Awareness..............................................................................................................................153 Taking a Stand .....................................................................................................................................157 Working Together ...............................................................................................................................163 Teaching/Promoting Diversity ............................................................................................................167 Regrets, Reflections, and Revisiting........................................................................................................175 Regrets .................................................................................................................................................175 Reflections ...........................................................................................................................................188

Insecurity. ........................................................................................................................................188 Difficult family situations................................................................................................................191 Differences. .....................................................................................................................................195 Desire to scare or intimidate. ...........................................................................................................197 Behavior problem or meanness. ......................................................................................................199 Risky behavior.................................................................................................................................201 Revisiting .............................................................................................................................................203 Avoiding bullies. .............................................................................................................................204 Going to adults. ...............................................................................................................................204 Taking a stand..................................................................................................................................205 Wearing the right clothes.................................................................................................................206 Being your own person or being strong...........................................................................................207 Summary .................................................................................................................................................208 Chapter Five: Discussion.............................................................................................................................212 Conclusions .............................................................................................................................................217 Limitations of the Research .....................................................................................................................227 Implications for Schools..........................................................................................................................228 Implications for Future Research ............................................................................................................234 References ...................................................................................................................................................238 Appendix A: Questionnaire .........................................................................................................................246 Appendix B: Interview Protocol..................................................................................................................247 Appendix C: Informed Consent...................................................................................................................251 Appendix D: Institutional Review Board Approval Form...........................................................................253

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Preface During the course of this research endeavor, the peacefulness and silence at Virginia Tech were shattered, as were the worlds of many students, faculty, and staff. In what has been called the "Virginia Tech Massacre," a student gunman took the lives of 32 students and faculty on campus. The horrific events that unfolded on the morning of April 16, 2007 will always be a part of our experiences at Virginia Tech, but they will not be the defining experience. On April 16th and since, a community within and beyond Virginia Tech and Blacksburg, Virginia came together to mourn and rebuild. This study is about rebuilding. It is about rebuilding a society that demeans others, a society that looks to violence to find vengeance, and a society that has the ability to do more. This research project took shape long before the events of April 16th unfolded. The data were collected and analyzed and the writing of the results had already commenced when our community fell victim to this violence. While this research project was not originally constructed in reaction to the events that unfolded that windy day, the words and thoughts here within are tainted by the events of April 16th, if only by implication and hope.

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CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION

"Sticks and stones may break our bones, but names will break our spirit." from The Misfits by James Howe (2001)

Education is accessible to every child in the United States. The federal government, state governments, and local governments, along with school systems, have the responsibility for providing a free education to all children. Yet, there are children who are not fully obtaining an education -- children who avoid school, children who attend but do not engage in learning with others, children who can not learn due to factors that draw their attention away from the daily lessons, and children whose sense of security is destroyed by other students (Aronson, 2000; Bonilla, 2000; Bosworth, Espelage, & Simon, 1999; Coggeshall & Kingery, 2001). Today's children are facing many obstacles to their education, and one of the considerable problems schools must deal with is bullying (Salmon, James, & Smith, 1998). The findings of one study indicated that "1/3 of middle school students felt unsafe at school because of bullying and did not report such behaviors..." (Bosworth et al., 1999, pp. 341-342) In this same study, it was demonstrated that students did not report bullying behaviors for a variety of reasons, one being that the students felt that the teachers and administrators would do nothing to help.

The significance of bullying in schools reaches far into our society, as its impact stretches beyond individual incidents between individuals, as demonstrated by the federal

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