What does it feel like to be bullied?

A study of children from 50 primary and secondary schools in Malta aimed to find out more about the feelings of bullies and victims after a bullying incident. It was found that it was most common for the victim to feel 'vengeful' (about 38% said they felt this way). This was closely followed by feeling angry. It was only slightly less likely that the victim would have feelings of self-pity. Other feelings mentioned by those being bullied were indifference and helplessness. Differences appeared between the reactions of primary and secondary school children. It was found that at secondary school level, victims were more likely to feel angry and vengeful, while victims at primary school were more likely to have feelings of self pity and helplessness.
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Article details

M G Borg (1998) 'The Emotional Reactions of School Bullies and their Victims' in 'Educational Psychology', Volume 18, Number 4, pages 433- 444.
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