英文摘要 |
Verbal and relationship bullying are the most common types of bullying among females. However, little is known about how adolescent girls who are victims of bullying become bullies themselves, and then what makes them stop these violent behaviors. The purpose of the current study is to explore the processes of moving from being bullied, to bullying, to, empowerment. A life-history approach was used to collect data from six undergraduate women, recruited by purposive sampling. In-depth interviews with the participants were audiotaped and transcribed. A line-by-line approach was used to develop themes. Three major categories, being a victim of a bully, becoming a bully, and meaning-making after stopping bullying, resulted from the analysis. The category of being a victim of a bully reflects on themes of individual coping and interpersonal coping. The category of becoming a bully included themes of power reversal and beliefs in power. The category of meaning-making after stopping bullying embraced changes in one's living environment and personal changes, including self-awareness and empathy with victims. Limitations of the study, implications of the results, and suggestions for future research are further addressed. |