Annotated Bibliography on Causes of Bullying

Tobin, C., & Duncan, J. (2007). Peer Victimization among Adolescent Females: A Literature
Review of the Significant Causes and Consequences Associated with Relational
Aggression. Alabama Counselling Association Journal, 33(1), 20-23.

The authors of the article are researchers at Troy University in the United States. In
the article, they reviewed the literature to find out some of the factors that contribute to
bullying among adolescent females. They also sought to determine from the literature
review the social and psychological impact of peer victimization or bullying among
adolescents. They found that the main factors that contribute to females becoming
bullies are home environment and personal characteristics. Females who came from
homes where violence was commonly used as a tool for discipline often ended up
being bullies themselves. Additionally, personal characteristics such as self-esteem of
the adolescent were also a factor contributing to bullying with females with low self-
esteem more likely to become bullies than those with high self-esteem. The findings
of this study are supported by those of the study conducted by Reisen et al., (2019)
cited below which also found that home environment, particularly the home
environment of the childhood of the adolescent has a major influence on whether an
adolescent becomes a bully or not.

Reisen, A., Viana, M. C., & dos Santos Neto, E. T. (2019). Adverse childhood experiences
and bullying in late adolescence in a metropolitan region of Brazil. Child abuse &
neglect, 92, 146-156.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON CAUSES OF BULLYING 3

The authors of this article, researchers at Federal University of Espirito Santo in
Brazil, used epidemiological survey of high school students, all aged between 15-19,
in a metropolitan region in Brazil. The goal of the survey was to analyze the
association between bullying behaviors that occur in late adolescence and exposure to
childhood adversaries. The study found that around 90% of the students had been
exposed to one childhood adversity, 56.6% had experienced between one to three
childhood adversities, while 33.3% had experienced between four to ten adversities in
their childhood. It found that the more the childhood adversities that an adolescent
had been exposed to the more likely they were to become bullies in their later
adolescence. Among the adolescents who self-identified as bullies, the most common
childhood adversity that they experienced was violence at home. The authors
explained that experience of domestic violence in childhood made it an acceptable
form of conflict resolution. In addition, it made it difficult for the adolescents to
develop conflict resolution skills thus increasing their likelihood of becoming bullies.
The findings of this study, therefore, support the findings of the study carried out by
Tobin & Dancun (2007) that has been cited above which found that difficult domestic
environment, particularly one that is characterized by violence, is a major contributor
to one becoming a bully. While offering valuable insights into the causes of bullying,
memory bias and reluctance to reveal traumatic childhood experiences may have
negatively affected the accuracy of the self-reported information that the adolescents
presented to the researchers.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ON CAUSES OF BULLYING 4

Frisén, A., Jonsson, A. K., & Persson, C. (2007). Adolescent’s Perception of Bullying: Who
is the Victim? Who is the Bully? What Can Be Done To Stop Bullying?
Adolescence, 42(168).

The authors of the article are researchers at Goteborg University in Sweden. In the
article, they sought to find out why adolescents and children engage in bullying of
their peers. The study was a survey of 119 students who had either been victims of
bullies, bullies, or both. 28% reported that they had bullied others, especially when
they were between 10-12 years, and 39% recorded being bullied, mainly when they
were between 7-9 years. The reason victims of bullying cited as the source of their
bullying was having a different appearance from others. As for the reasons why some
adolescents and children bullied others, the main cause given was low self-esteem.
Thus, the study’s findings are similar to those found by Tobin & Duncan (2007) who
found that personal characteristics particularly low self-esteem, played a central role
in making one a bully. The study’s strength is the use of qualitative research which
allows the researchers to understand why a given phenomenon occurs. However, its
complete reliance on views of the adolescents to determine the causes of bullying
weakens its conclusions.