Bullying Victimization And Its Effects - 1446 Words

The definition of bullying victimization is most often attributed to Daniel Olweus; who defined bullying victimization as an act in which a person is exposed to negative actions that are intended to inflict physical, mental or emotional distress (Olweus, 1994). One of the most significant consequences of bullying victimization is the observation that it occurs most often in repeated cycles that can affect the long-term emotional stability of the victim (Nansel, Overpeck, Haynie, Ruan, Scheidt, 2003 ). Studies indicate that bullying victimization experiences often leave victims prone to defiant or delinquent behaviors, poor school performance, and anger or aggression problems (Nadel, Spellman., Alvarez-Canino, Lausell-Bryant, Landsberg;†¦show more content†¦Recognizing the complex variables, researchers have modified existing psychological inventory tools such as the Rutter scales and the Child Depression Inventory, to better measure and assess the long-term victim outcomes (Vaillancourt, Hymel, McDougall, 2003). One area of increasing concern among researchers is the inadequacy of the survey tools that may be impeding our understanding of the scope of the victimization, most prior research efforts have relied on survey based models that were either self-reported or provided by educators or parents, this may have diminished the sample quality and reduced the validity of the measurements (Hawker Boulton, 2000). Acknowledging that bullying victimizations extend across a wide spectrum of the population and is not merely limited to adolescent experiences; researchers are striving to explore a number of overlapping social environments, including the workplace and social media where these types of victimizations also occur. Bullying victimizations represent a large class of victims that deserve the attention and efforts of researchers to minimize the effects of past abuse and help prevent future or continual abuse. The next paragraph introduces three spec ific theories of victimology as they are applied to bullying victimizations. Since the