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You Say Bully, I Say Bullied: School Culture And Definitions Of Bullying In Two Elementary Schools, Brent D. Harger

Sociology Faculty Publications

Purpose

This chapter examines the definitions of bullying used by students and adults in elementary schools and the effects that these definitions had within the broader school culture.

Design/methodology/approach

I combine interviews with 53 students and 10 adults and over 430 hours of participant observation with fifth grade students at two rural elementary schools.

Findings

Definitions of bullying held by those in these schools typically differed from those used by researchers. Even when individuals held definitions that were in line with those used by researchers, however, a focus on identifying bullies rather than on behaviors that fit definitions of bullying …