School Bullying: Signs of Social Maladjustment in Offenders, Victims, and Victim-Offenders

Abstract

Introduction. The goal of the article is the analysis of social maladjustment among schoolchildren involved in bullying in different roles: «Offender», «Victim», and «Victim-Offender». The capabilities of the "Screening method for diagnosing propensity to extremism" (R. V. Kadyrov, T. V. Kapustina, E. V. Sadon, A. S. Elzesser) in a study of bullying are shown. The psychological features of the least studied role of "Victim-Offender" are revealed. Methods. The study involved 206 high school students aged 15–18 years. To identify groups of schoolchildren participating in bullying, the «Bullying situation at school» (V. R. Petrosyants) method was used, to determine the severity of social maladjustment – a «Screening method for diagnosing propensity to extremism» (R. V. Kadyrov et al.); the psychological characteristics of the groups were determined using the «Individual typological questionnaire» (L. N. Sobchik), and «Test of aggressiveness» (L. G. Pochebut). Results. Signs of social maladjustment were found in all groups involved in bullying, with the most acuteness in Victims and Victim-Offenders. Among the signs of maladaptation were identified: for Offenders – attention-seeking, preference for computer games with predominant components of violence, low mood, and loss of energy; for Victims – closedness and aloofness, low mood; for Victim-Offenders – enmity, sympathy for deviants, closedness. Victim-Offenders combine the maladjustment traits of both the initiator and the target of bullying. Statistically significant differences (p < 0.05) in the psychological characteristics of bullying participants are determined. Compared with others, the Offenders group expressed such traits as spontaneity, aggressiveness, and nonconformity. Victims have expressed introversion, anxiety, self-aggression, and dependence, as well as a negative correlation with lability. No significant correlations were found for the Victim-Offender group. All bullying participants showed signs of social maladjustment – experiencing loneliness, a negative attitude towards others, and difficulties with trust. Discussion of the results. The results obtained are consistent with the facts noted by other researchers, such as the use of bullying by Offenders to increase their position in the informal hierarchy, their pronounced impulsiveness and desire for dominance; introversion, anxiety, and closedness in Victims; trust difficulties, introversion, anxiety, and hostility in Victim-Offenders.