Essay on Bullying Within Friendships: An Analysis of Victimization Among Peers

Introduction

In the article "Some of My Best Friends-Experiences of Bullying Within Friendships," Mishna, Wiener, and Pepler (2008) have presented one of the first analysis of bullying among friends. Arguably, the article reflects the central phenomenon being studied; the authors have provided a causal explanation that youngsters who are victimized are characteristically described as having few friends and are more susceptible to constant victimization by peers. The investigation mirrors the individuals and location being studied since it centered on the views of teachers, parents, and victimized children considering actual circumstances that they raised for discussion.

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Problem Statement

The authors have indicated a vital educational issue to study; they have suggested that among friends, bullying is a significant issue that demands further investigation. Mishna et al. (2008) have provided evidence that this issue is distinguished by showing that the impacts of bullying may be far-reaching for children who are victimized and bully others. Both are at risk of psychiatric, social, and emotional problems that may persist into adulthood. There is a signal that the scholars have set this subject through an examination of past literature rather than from individual experience; they have based their analysis based on what has been published on the subject by recognized scholars. The study problem is consistent with a qualitative approach since it is primarily exploratory research; the authors have used it to gain an understanding of underlying motivations, opinions, and reasons for bullying among children (Tracy, 2019). The assumptions are consistent with a qualitative approach since it assists in developing hypotheses or ideas for potential quantitative research.

Review of Literature

Despite locating the issue under investigation through a search of past literature, the study by Mishna et al. (2008) does not contain a literature review as one of its parts. The lack of this section implies that the authors have not focused on synthesizing and summarizing the notions and opinions of others without adding new contributions (Hart, 2018). In essence, the study adheres to the APA guideline since, in the in-text citation, the authors have adhered to the author-date method.

Research Question and Purpose Statement

The statement of purpose and main research question assist a scholar to focus on what they are studying. With this focus, a writer clearly understands what to do (Alase, 2017). In Mishna et al. (2008), the objective of the analysis entails presenting the perspective of educators, parents, and youngsters on bullying among friends. However, the authors have not included the research questions as a component of the study.

Data Collection

Mishna et al. (2008) have considered various factors in planning to connect with prospective research participants and choosing the study site for qualitative research. The authors conducted their study in four municipal schools. The institutions were situated in neighborhoods that differed in factors, such as percentage of recent immigrants, family composition, and income. The scholars did not choose a specific, purposeful sampling; nevertheless, a substantially smaller portion of the larger sample of youngsters completed the "Safe School Questionnaire." The collection of data is specified, and it is extensive. As an illustration, the authors obtained multiple triangulation and perspectives by interviewing educators, parents, and children. The data collection protocol by the authors entailed a plan for monitoring the data as they are gathered to guarantee quality.

Data Analysis and Findings

In their study, Mishna et al. (2008) used NVivo qualitative software to consolidate the data. In essence, this was an appropriate step taken to evaluate the transcript into themes. The authors obtained adequate data to support each argument. For instance, the findings answered the research questions whereby in examining the interviews, they identified subjects and categories and continuous comparison resulted in the grouping of similar aspects regarding individuals' understanding of the victimization of children by friends.

Writing

Arguably, the account by Mishna et al. (2008) was written persuasively and convincingly in the sense that the authors have provided good research, awareness of the biases of readers, and they have demonstrated not only why their opinion is correct, but also the reason the opposing outlook is incorrect. Furthermore, the overall account is consistent with the presentation of qualitative research since it has been used to dive deeper into a subject and disclose trends in opinions and thought. The authors have further used complexity, dialogue, detail, surprises, and metaphors to persuade readers. They have related the bullying scenarios and have convinced the readers to see it in the context of friendship. The research is written appropriately for the intended audience by providing significant results showing that victimized children might remain friends to relationally aggressive youngsters since, for them, the advantages might outweigh the negatives.

References

Alase, A. (2017). The interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA): A guide to a good qualitative research approach. International Journal of Education and Literacy Studies, 5(2), 9-19.

Hart, C. (2018). Doing a literature review: Releasing the research imagination. London: Sage.

Mishna, F., Wiener, J., & Pepler, D. (2008). Some of My Best Friends--Experiences of Bullying Within Friendships. School Psychology International, 29(5), 549-573.

Tracy, S. J. (2019). Qualitative research methods: Collecting evidence, crafting analysis, communicating impact. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.