Parent and educator perception of the definition of bullying and its impact in early childhood: a grounded theory approach

Abstract

In Australian schools, out of 3.8 million students, it is estimated that 910,000 are victims of bullying, 543,000 are perpetrators, and about 45 million bullying incidents are reported from kindergarten to year 12 in Australian schools each year (Alannah and Madeline Foundation, 2018). Bullying is known to be significantly detrimental to the well-being of all involved, including those who witness bullying (Saracho, 2016; Mcgoey et al., 2023). Furthermore, although bullying tends to decline as children get older, it persists beyond high school into the workplace. As such, early intervention and abatement of bullying behaviours is paramount. To date, most work seeking to prevent bullying has been done from the upper primary grades and above, with little research focusing on the early childhood years. This is paradoxical, as bullying may be a learnt behaviour, and early intervention in these critical early years may be crucial to reducing its incidence. Parents and Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) of early years could play a critical role in reducing bullying. However, studies such as Sims-Schouten (2015), Repo & Sajaniemi (2015), indicate that there are discrepancies in the perception of the definition of bullying between, the parents’, ECE’s and researchers. This includes the possibility that bullying does not exist in the early childhood years (Monk & Smith, 2006). Therefore, the purpose of this study was to use a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) approach to explore Early Childhood Educators and Parents (Caregivers) of preschool children’s understanding of the concept of bullying, including its definition and consequences. Specifically, the aim was to initiate a process to generate ideas that can contribute to understanding how bullying is perceived and potentially defined during the early developmental period by parents and ECEs. Consistent with Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT), both purposive and theoretical sampling were used to collect data in this study. A total of 3 rounds of interviews were conducted, each consisted of at least 10 Early Childhood educators and 10 parents of preschool children. Each round of interviews was conducted with participants who had not participated in any previous interview. At the end of each interview, the obtained data was analysed to prepare for the next set of interviews. The study's findings indicate that the interpretation of the definition of bullying is individual. Although participants use similar terms consistent with the current most frequently used definition of bullying in literature, its interpretation is based on individual cultural paradigms. The implications of such findings are discussed in the context of early intervention and future research into bullying in the early childhood years.

Date of Award	2024
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Western Sydney University
Supervisor	Roberto Parada (Supervisor)