Stress-Related Growth as an Outcome of Bullying Victimization
Date
2021-04-16
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
After stressful experiences, many individuals identify as having gained something from their suffering. Research on stress-related growth considers the experience of individuals who report positive changes following stressful experiences. Stress-related growth has been explored in a variety of contexts, but it has rarely been discussed with respect to bullying. The present study offers a preliminary examination of stress-related growth in the context of school bullying by addressing three main objectives: (1) to explore stress-related growth as a potential outcome of bullying experiences, (2) to investigate if characteristics related to the individual and the bullying event predict stress-related growth, and (3) to examine if stress-related growth predicts higher levels of well-being (i.e., life satisfaction). A sample of 205 University of Calgary students with previous bullying victimization participated in the present study. Data were collected through an online survey hosted by SurveyMonkey®. The analyses explored if event-related variables (e.g., bullying type, duration, setting, severity, etc.) and variables related to the individual (e.g., gender, Big Five personality traits, optimism) significantly predicted stress-related growth. Stress-related growth was examined as a potential predictor of life satisfaction. Results indicated that individuals who experienced social bullying reported the highest levels of stress-related growth. Stress-related growth scores did not significantly differ based on any of the other event-related variables. None of the event-related variables significantly predicted growth scores. Some variables related to the individual (i.e., optimism, agreeableness) significantly positively predicted growth scores or approached significance (i.e., extraversion), while others did not (i.e., conscientiousness, neuroticism, and openness). Stress-related growth scores significantly positively predicted satisfaction with life. A path analysis illustrated significant indirect effects of optimism, agreeableness, and extraversion on life satisfaction via stress-related growth. This study offers a preliminary understanding of stress-related growth as a potential outcome of bullying. The results offer initial evidence regarding factors that predict stress-related growth, and the potential impact on well-being. This study complements the extant literature on bullying outcomes and helps to provide a comprehensive understanding of the aftermath of bullying. Implications for research and practice are discussed and potential avenues for future studies are proposed.
Description
Keywords
Bullying, Stress-Related Growth
Citation
Fraccaro, R. L. (2021). Stress-Related Growth as an Outcome of Bullying Victimization (Doctoral thesis, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada). Retrieved from https://prism.ucalgary.ca.