Associate Professor in Psychology, Rachel Maunder, presented her work on adult recollections of bullying at the recent British Psychology Society Psychology of Education Section Annual Conference. The conference was held online, on 8th and 9th September 2021. Rachel is a member of the Psychology of Education Section Committee, so also chaired one of the conference sessions and supported publicity of the event via social media.
In her presentation, Rachel described her research which involved collecting and analysing adult retrospective accounts of being bullied. Over 200 participants responded to a series of open-ended online survey questions about a bullying experience they recalled from school. The accounts were subsequently coded using content analysis. Findings showed that many adults saw bullying as having a prolonged impact on them, affecting their relationships with others and view of themselves. Some also felt that they developed coping strategies and resilience. This study is part of Rachel’s wider research interests in peer relationships and bullying.
