Exploring thoughts of victims of school bullying through drawings

Abstract

This study explored the underlying thoughts of victims of school bullying through analysis of their drawings. Eighty senior secondary students (studying in classes 9 to 11) identified as victims based on the Illinois Victimization Scale participated in the study. Participants drew their victimization experiences and provided elaborations of their drawings. Analysis of participants’ responses involved the framework method. Results showed that thoughts of bullied participants were related to the (1) outcomes of being victimized (2) dealing with the bullies, and (3) the reason for bullying. The participants evinced various thoughts related to direct or indirect coping, victim-related reasons, and bully related reasons as gauged by their drawings. The findings of this study were interpreted in the light of developmental-ecological framework and research. The article indicates implications for future research and professionals to help the victims of school bullying.