Definition of Bullying

In trying to establish whether the participants understood what bullying was all about, the researcher tried to determine clarification about what ‘messing around’ and bullying was. Participants were clearly able to differentiate between bullying and ‘messing around’. Some participants even provided examples to qualify their explanations. This was necessary as the researcher needed to establish that the participants would be able to answer the rest of the questions in line with the term ‘bullying’ and not “messing around”. Participants claimed they were also able to detect in the tone of voice whether someone was genuinely hurting their feelings or just “messing around”. Participant 1 referred to “messing around” as “saying ugly things but just a little bit”. According to participant 2 the person would say things that he/she doesn’t mean.

Some participants felt that if the comment was repeated every now and again, then it would be bullying. Participant 3 said that it depended on the relationship that one had with the other person. This participant also felt that the comments had to be repeated for it to be considered as bullying. Participant 8 also pointed out “bullying to me is when it’s repeated. It’s repeated”. Thus in general, most of the participants pointed out that a person repeatedly telling them something negative, would constitute to be bullying and not “messing around”. Participant 8 also pointed out that he instinctively would be able to tell if his feelings were being hurt .The participants also pointed out that they would be able to pick this out in the manner in which the other person said things to them. Olweus (1993: 9-10) chapter 2 (cf. par 2.2) points out that bullying is an aggressive behaviour, carried out repeatedly and over time and is usually characterised by an imbalance of power. Part of

58

Olweus’s definition mentions that the bullying behaviour has to be repeated to be classified as bullying. This was pointed out by two of the participants who said that the bullying behaviour had to be repeated for it to be called bullying.

Participant 7 indicated that bullies want attention; they think like treating you badly they can make themselves look cool”. This power is shown as making someone doubt themselves and to make them less confident. This was also highlighted by participant 8 who said that “power involved somebody making you think that they are better than you are”. Participant 6 further added that the bully wants attention. Power also involves a person making the bully look good in front of others. This coincides with Rossouw and Stewart chapter 2 (cf. par 2.2) when they point out that one of the aspects of bullying had to do with gaining power over others.

Participant 7 commented that by treating someone badly bullies can make themselves look “cool”. ‘Cool’ in this sense is someone people take notice of. Participant 7 acknowledged “that the bully is a bully so that he can look good to other boys-“look powerful and gain recognition”. He further pointed out that they actually have strength in numbers and they’re actually more popular. The above is supported by the literature finding in chapter 2 (cf. par 2.2).

Another interesting point that surfaced about bullies was that some were “money-driven”. Having money is how the bully showed that, as a bully, he had power. In this instance these bullies had to have more technological devices, which they needed to feel more powerful. This is new to the concept of bullying.

Participants pointed out that an imbalance was created, due to the build of the victims. Participant 1 mentioned that bullies usually picked on weaker or small children; which she further clarified by saying in size and grade. She elaborated by saying “grade sevens will pick on grade ones or grade fours will pick on grade ones”. It was also noted that if the learner was in the same grade and the same size as the bully, then the bully would select the weaker one to torment. She further agreed that bullying usually happens between bigger children and smaller children. Participant 3 added that the reason the bully picked on a particular learner was because he was physically smaller. Furthermore, participant 3 pointed out that they, as victims were “isolated”, that they were generally alone. These statements were supported by Arseneault, Bowes and Shakoor (2010: 718) when they

59

noted in their definition that strength, age and popularity are the factors that determine the imbalance in power (cf. par 2.2).

The above statements by the various participants clearly showed that they were able to differentiate between “bullying” and “messing around”. Furthermore, participants were able to point out various traits that constituted the definition of bullying; which is that it had to be repeated, a power imbalance had to be created, popularity and the bully being physically stronger than the victim. The participants emphasised that learners who were bullies in the school were considered as popular and “cool”. In the school where the research was carried out, popularity played a deciding role as far as identifying the bully.