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Abstract
This study examined whether those bullied in schools continued to show the effects of being bullied after they enrolled in an institution of higher education. There were 269 undergraduate students participating in the study Previous studies (2006; 2008) conducted by the authors suggested the effects of bullying upon both the victim and bully are long lasting; victims of bullying at the college level indicated histories of being bullied throughout their school years. The results of this study suggest bullying in junior high and/or high school continues into college; the negative effects associated with being victimized or acting as the bully continue into the college years.
The act of bullying, or being bullied, has been viewed as a "rite of passage" (Brown, 2006, para.1); until a violent act occurs to focus attention on bullying, it has generally received little attention from educators. Research suggests that, as a result of their experience of being bullied, some victims became bullies themselves. Others performed poorly in their academic work and eventually dropped out of school, and still others chose a more dramatic response to having been bullied, such as committing suicide (Lawrence & Adams, 2006; Olweus, 1978; & Smith, 2011). Various types and degrees of bullying have been described by Monks and Smith (2010). Monks and Smith reviewed various definitions and rationale for bullying behaviors. They also examined bullying at various age levels and concluded it exists at all age levels in varying degrees.
Cyberbullying (Rubin, 2008; Strom & Strom, 2005) and workplace bullying (Fritzgerald, 201 0) are now being more closely examined owing to the widespread and potentially negative effects on the victims. Bullying in the workplace has been examined from the perspective of an "ongoing behavior" developed from an educational setting (Smith, Singer, Hoel, & Cooper, 2003). Newman, Holden, and Delville indicated that a history of victimization was associated with increased levels of stress and avoidant coping strategies during the college years. As Oliver and Candappa (2003) suggested, bullies are everywhere; so, too, are the victims.
Problem Statement
Do students who have experienced episodes of being bullied in school continue to exhibit characteristics or effects of being bullied after having been enrolled in an institution of higher education?
Review of Current Literature
Investigations of...