Peer harassment: who are often the victims? : an exploratory study on the victims of peer harassment.

• Main Authors: Bautista, Ruteza, Bolinao, Anne Magdalene, Deocareza, Kristine
• Format: text
• Language: English
• Published: Animo Repository 2001
• Subjects: Sexual harassment; Counseling Psychology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/etd_bachelors/10241
• Institution: De La Salle University

Identifying common characteristics of adolescent victims of peer harassment is hardly possible. This study is concerned at exploring the peer harassment phenomenon in the context of its victims. The researchers have come up with four research problems. These research problems aimed at determining the behaviors that are considered as peer harassing, the characteristics, and the coping strategies and reactions of the harassed adolescents. Through the focus group discussion, the researchers were able to gather peer harassing behaviors while the in-depth interview gathered information regarding the characteristics, coping strategies, and reactions of the adolescents in their experience of peer harassment. Results of this study prove that there are various physical, cognitive, social and psychological characteristics of adolescent victims of peer harassment. However, there are similar behaviors that the participants of this study have attested to. Also, there are various coping strategies employed by the victims. With the use of the in-depth interview, the researchers were able to deeply explore the peer harassments experience. More than anything, the study shows that there are not only negative effects of peer harassment but positive effects as well. An example of the positive effect is the increase in involvement of the harassed adolescent in school activities or an increase in physical appearance consciousness which leads them to make themselves more presentable. On the other hand, an example of the negative effects include isolation and decrease in self-esteem.