- Library Home /
- Search Collections /
- Open Collections /
- Browse Collections /
- UBC Theses and Dissertations /
- Bullying in schools : how children think, feel, and...
Open Collections
UBC Theses and Dissertations
UBC Theses and Dissertations
Bullying in schools : how children think, feel, and respond Funke, Kirstin A.
Abstract
Research has frequently documented significant associations between empathy and behaviour. Typically, empathy has been found to be higher in individuals who behave prosocially, and lower in individuals who behave aggressively. Extending this research, the present study examined links between empathy and bullying/victimization behavior, with particular interest in whether children who behave differently in the face of bullying (i.e., assume different participant roles) differ in the nature of empathy they experience. To this end, 409 students (210 females, 199 males) from grades 5 to 7 completed both peer-nominations and self-reports of various bullying participant role behaviours, as well as self-reports of tendencies to experience various facets of empathy. Results revealed that self-reports of empathic concern (i.e., empathy in the form of concern for others), and perspective-taking (i.e., empathy in the form of understanding others' perspectives) were significantly lower in children nominated by peers for roles that supported bullying, as compared to children who assumed roles that defended against or stayed away from bullying or who were victims of bullying. No significant differences were observed among participant roles for empathic distress (i.e., empathy in the form of personal distress). This pattern was evident regardless of whether more generic or dispositional forms of empathy were considered, or whether more specific forms of empathy in response to bullying situations were considered. Overall, females reported higher levels of all facets of empathy than males. Given these findings, empathy appears to be an important distinguishing factor among children who behave differently within bullying situations. In order to encourage children's prosocial responses to bullying, and discourage behaviours that support bullying, empathy appears to be an important variable to target in designing anti-bullying programs for schools.
Item Metadata
Title |
Bullying in schools : how children think, feel, and respond
|
Creator | |
Publisher |
University of British Columbia
|
Date Issued |
2003
|
Description |
Research has frequently documented significant associations between empathy and behaviour.
Typically, empathy has been found to be higher in individuals who behave prosocially, and
lower in individuals who behave aggressively. Extending this research, the present study
examined links between empathy and bullying/victimization behavior, with particular interest in
whether children who behave differently in the face of bullying (i.e., assume different participant
roles) differ in the nature of empathy they experience. To this end, 409 students (210 females,
199 males) from grades 5 to 7 completed both peer-nominations and self-reports of various
bullying participant role behaviours, as well as self-reports of tendencies to experience various
facets of empathy. Results revealed that self-reports of empathic concern (i.e., empathy in the
form of concern for others), and perspective-taking (i.e., empathy in the form of understanding
others' perspectives) were significantly lower in children nominated by peers for roles that
supported bullying, as compared to children who assumed roles that defended against or stayed
away from bullying or who were victims of bullying. No significant differences were observed
among participant roles for empathic distress (i.e., empathy in the form of personal distress).
This pattern was evident regardless of whether more generic or dispositional forms of empathy
were considered, or whether more specific forms of empathy in response to bullying situations
were considered. Overall, females reported higher levels of all facets of empathy than males.
Given these findings, empathy appears to be an important distinguishing factor among children
who behave differently within bullying situations. In order to encourage children's prosocial
responses to bullying, and discourage behaviours that support bullying, empathy appears to be
an important variable to target in designing anti-bullying programs for schools.
|
Extent |
5965217 bytes
|
Genre | |
Type | |
File Format |
application/pdf
|
Language |
eng
|
Date Available |
2009-11-17
|
Provider |
Vancouver : University of British Columbia Library
|
Rights |
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.
|
DOI |
10.14288/1.0054505
|
URI | |
Degree | |
Program | |
Affiliation | |
Degree Grantor |
University of British Columbia
|
Graduation Date |
2004-05
|
Campus | |
Scholarly Level |
Graduate
|
Aggregated Source Repository |
DSpace
|
Item Media
Item Citations and Data
Rights
For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.