Psychology

Name:                                                                                          Date: November 15, 2010.

 

Research Title:  The Effects of Gender on Bullying

 

Introduction to Your Area of Interest:

The problem of bullying is quite rampant in young children and teenagers within a global scale. Bullying activities are diverse in nature with regard to gender with boys posited to be more aggressive and physical in their bullying tactics as opposed to girls. Boys tend to apply violent behavior such as tripping, shoving, spitting, smacking, or hitting their victims while girls will often resort to less violent behavior such as mockery, intimidation, rejection, extortion, thieving, and gossip. Current trends in terms of gender aspects has revealed that girls are now resorting to the use of violent bullying tactics that has led to long-term psychological disorders and conditions in the various victims (Sellgren, 2005). Psychiatrists believe that less violent bullying imparts higher psychological damages than violent bullying.

 

Theory/Theories or Conceptual Framework(s) Related to the Area of Inquiry:

We shall employ Buss’ aggression framework that “can be viewed in three dichotomies: active-passive, physical-verbal, and direct-indirect” (Chrisler, & McCreary, 2010, p. 427). Active bullies impose hurt to the victim through such methods as punching and slapping while passive ones hold back statistics that are vital to the victim. Physical bullies resort to actions such as punching and kicking, while verbal bullies scream, abuse, or curse the victim. Direct forms of bullying inflict harm to the victim unlike indirect methods that harm possessions that the victim values. Buss argues that due to “social expectation…women are more likely to engage in verbal, passive, and indirect forms of aggression…men are more likely to engage in physical, direct and active aggression” (Chrisler, & McCreary, 2010, p. 427).

 

Purpose of Your Research:

As noted in the introduction section, existing trends have proved that females are resorting to higher aggressive forms of bullying; this is a deviation from their traditional posited form of non-violent structures. The study will focus on the stereotypical gender perception attached to bullying and the role that it has played in the evolution of the change in bullying patterns. Additionally, the study shall also review why violence has less psychological effects on victims of bullying as compared to non-violent methods, and the various recommendations offered to combat bullying activities among the young ones and adolescents.

 

Your Proposed Research Approach/Methodology:

Check one

students ONLY  – Critical Literature Review with Proposed Quantitative Study
students ONLY  – Critical Literature Review with Proposed Qualitative Study
students ONLY  – Critical Literature Review with Proposed Mixed Methods Study
Quantitative Study
Qualitative Study
Mixed Methods Study

Describe Your Proposed Design:

Descriptive research will be used in this study for the purposes of examination and explanation of the identified phenomenon (Breakwell, 2006). Data and information to be used for the study will be generated from the earlier research studies in the subject of bullying and the role of gender in the identified problem. Accredited secondary sources in form of analyzed primary data evaluation and gathering techniques such as surveys and research projects, case studies, and notable scholarly articles shall be used in the study. Analysis shall heavily rely on the reports, claims, observations and rationales used in the various source materials.

 

Your Proposed Research Population and How You Would Draw Upon this Population for your Research Inquiry:

Having identified the research as a qualitative study, there will be no definition of the population (Breakwell, 2006). However, as all formal research sources will have the number of participants (population) taking place in the study, then important information such as the population size shall be provided in a summative format within this study. This shall be outlines in two or three sentences to avoid shifting the focus to the past studies. Additionally, the result from the cited studies shall be accounted for the sake of a comprehensive analysis.

 

Examples of Research Data That May Be Collected:

Periodicals like credible research projects, survey results, peer reviewed articles and psychological books will be used as information sources for the study. No coding shall be undertaken since the information to be used has already been subjected to statistical forms of analyses and the results generated evaluated for relevant implications.

 

Social Change Implications:

Bullying is a common practice transversing in most educational facilities within the world and the behavior fosters negative social relations among the populace. In the university’s goal to instigate constructive social transformation, it would be prudent for the educational fraternity to learn and identify the behaviors exhibited by both male and female bullies; this would ease the process of identification. Once identified, the bullies can be placed in guidance and counseling sessions for behavior modification (Rigby, 2007). The study will identify the new trends observable in girl bullying so that the university is updated with the issues to be addressed accordingly.

 

Other Information About Your Research Proposal:

The study draws a parallel into the problem of stereotyping with regard to social aspects within today’s environment (Meyer, 2009). Due to the notion that more boys are involved in bullying activities than girls are, as well as that the latter resorts to less-violent means, a lot of attention has always been focused to the males. This has led to a less than proportionate concern being placed on the girls, which has silently brewed to the problems that are evidenced by the shift of tactics. Therefore, the study will address the problems attached to stereotyping and the applicable mitigation strategies.

 

References:

Breakwell, G. M. (2006). Research methods in psychology. Center Circle, CA: SAGE.

Chrisler, J. C., & McCreary, D. R. (2010). Handbook of Gender Research in Psychology. New York, NY: Springer.

Meyer, E. J. (2009). Gender, bullying, and harassment: strategies to end sexism and homophobia in schools. New York, NY: Teachers College Press.

Rigby, K. (2007). Bullying in schools: and what to do about it. Camberwell, Australia: Aust Council for Ed Research.

Sellgren, K. (2005, November 22). Girls ‘becoming more violent’. BBC News. Retrieved from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4459402.stm