ABSTRACT
Tragically, bullying has a negative impact on everyone, particularly those who are targeted by the behaviour. This chapter begins to expose the multiple perspectives of persistent bullying by hearing the experiences of those who have been targets of this behaviour. Being the recipient of persistent victimization has been found to negatively affect educational achievement, school attendance, as well as future aspirations (Beale 2001; Kowalski, Limber & Agatston 2008). Over time, victims may begin to view themselves in a negative light, causing internalizing problems such as anxiety, depression and eating disorders (Bond, Carlin, Thomas, Rubin & Patton 2001). In extreme cases, victims seek retribution against their bully (Carney & Merrell 2001) while others may attempt suicide (Baldry & Winkel 2003). Despite the suffering experienced by victims, and the consistent call for young people to report bullying, many observe a code of silence, preferring not to report incidents (Smith & Shu 2000). This can be due to a number of reasons including: having little faith in adult responses; being concerned about how others might perceive them; fearing retaliation; feeling shame or weakness; fearing that others will not believe them; being concerned about worrying their parents or others; fearing the situation may get worse; or being concerned about being called a ‘snitch’ or ‘dobber’ (Sampson 2002). Compounding this is the concern that disclosures are limited to extreme cases or where a student has experienced persistent bullying, leaving minor, less frequent incidents unreported (Unnever 2005). To further understand decisions regarding whether or not to report bullying, Part II focuses on giving voice to those
who have been victimized. We begin by introducing ‘Leah’, an eight-year-old girl who self-identified as being victimized by same-age and older peers.
