Department of Psychology and Behavioural Sciences

What If No One Wants to be Friends with Me Anymore: A Phenomenological Study of the Moral Dilemmas of Victims of Bullying

Research output: Working paper/Preprint Working paperResearch

Being bullied involves difficult moral emotions for the victim and the victim may be placed in moral dilemmas culminating in a vicious circle. The purpose of this study is to describe the moral dilemmas of victimization. The methodology is a phenomenological analysis of three young victims. Three moral dilemmas are described: 1) the dilemma between accepting being bullied and yet feeling hurt, 2) the dilemma between staying isolated and the fear of escalating the bullying, if adults interfere, and 3) the dilemma between ending the bullying and losing friendships. The conclusion is that bullying activates and upholds the entire system surrounding the class, thereby making it complicated for the victim to break out of the vicious circle.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 2015

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ID: 121865040