ABSTRACT

Multiple Perspectives in Persistent Bullying: Capturing and listening to young people’s voices concludes in Part V by synthesizing the voices of the young people presented in previous chapters to make meaning and address the phenomenon of persistent bullying. To begin, Chapter 10 considers the important role that relationships play in persistent bullying and its impact on student wellbeing. This is followed in Chapter 11 by highlighting critical turning points and chain reactions in the lives of those who bully, are victimized or desist, which inform the educational implications presented in Chapter 12. As illustrated consistently through the voices of young people, persistent bullying requires immediate attention to improve the wellbeing of all stakeholders, and central to this is the desire to feel connected and to develop productive relationships with family, peers and teachers. However, relationships are influenced by the complex interplay between a range of factors including self-concept, status, self-verification, reputation enhancement, self-fulfilling prophecy, empathy and the need to belong. A sustained body of educational research has identified relationships as a key factor in the academic achievement and wellbeing of students, however we begin this chapter by emphasizing the pivotal role of relationships in addressing persistent bullying.