Abstract

Bullying is a significant problem in schools today, especially with the increase in types of media that allow perpetrators to be anonymous online. The present study examined whether perceptions of bullying were affected by the attribute for which someone was bullied and the medium through which the bullying occurred among high school students. Participants (N=103) read four vignettes about victims of bullying who were assaulted in person or on Twitter for their race, weight, gender expression, or clothing style. The amount of choice participants perceived the victim to have over their attribute influenced the perceived severity of their attitudes, such that race was seen as more serious than weight, followed by gender expression, and clothing style. Participants perceived greater intent of the perpetrator online, but acknowledged that verbal bullying is unacceptable. Implications for policy and future research are discussed.

Advisor

Clayton, Susan

Department

Psychology

Disciplines

School Psychology | Social Psychology

Keywords

cyber bullying, verbal bullying, choice, attitudes, high school students

Publication Date

2015

Degree Granted

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type

Senior Independent Study Thesis

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© Copyright 2015 Gretchen Heideloff