54 Parents Worried About Cyber Bullying ofKids Norton Re.docx

54% Parents Worried About Cyber Bullying of
Kids: Norton Research
Sharma, Adeesh . PCQuest ; Gurgaon (Jan 23, 2017).
ProQuest document link
FULL TEXT
Norton by Symantec released findings from the 2016 Norton
Cyber Security Insights Report: Family Edition, which
sheds light on parents' perceptions of cyberbullying and the
preventative measures they are putting in place to
protect their children.
The report reveals that while 40 percent of Indian parents
allowed their children to access the Internet before age
11, many had a wide range of concerns. For example, more than
half (54 percent) of Indian parents believe their
children are more likely to be bullied online than on a
playground.
"Children today face threats beyond physical violence or face-
to-face encounters," said Ritesh Chopra, Country

Manager, Norton by Symantec. "Cyberbullying is a growing
issue and parents are struggling to identify and
respond to this threat. A concern for many parents is that
cyberbullying doesn't stop when their child leaves school
- as long as your child is connected to a device, a bully can
connect to them."
In addition to cyberbullying, parents' chief concerns were that
their children might:
* Download malicious programs or a virus (71 percent)
* Disclose too much personal information to strangers (69
percent)
* Be lured into meeting a stranger in the physical world (65
percent)
* Do something online that makes the whole family vulnerable
(62 percent) or embarrassed (60 percent)
* Be lured into illegal activities like hacking (61 percent)
Parents Beginning to Step Up Family Cyber Security
The Norton Cyber Security Insights Report: Family Edition
shows that Indian parents are starting to recognize how
damaging cyberbullying can be for children and are putting in
place preventative measures. For example,
* 57 percent parents chose to check their child's browser history
* 46 percent only allow access to certain websites

* 48 percent allow Internet access only with parental
supervision; 37percent review and approve all apps before
they are downloaded
* 36 percent enable Internet access only in household common
areas
* 35 percent limit information their child can post on social
profiles
One interesting finding from the survey is that parents from
countries, who had the strictest preventative
measures in place also had the lowest incidence of
cyberbullying. The survey also reveals that 7 percent of parents
fail to take any action to protect their children online.
Starting a Conversation
The Norton Cyber Security Insights Report indicates that only
17 percent of Indian parents reported their child was
cyberbullied. While on the surface, this may seem like
cyberbullying is not a problem, the reality is that many
parents don't know how to recognize the signs of cyberbullying,
so the problem is likely under-reported.
Additionally, many children choose to remain silent about
cyberbullying due to a fear of losing access to devices
and the Internet, or that parents will embarrass them or
exacerbate the problem by contacting the bully's parents

or the school.
If you suspect or are worried about cyberbullying, the first step
is communication. Cyberbullying is a sensitive
https://reddog.rmu.edu/login?url=https://search.proquest.com/do
cview/1860810828?accountid=28365
subject, and starting a conversation can be difficult.
"Many parents are still in the dark about how to recognize the
signs of cyberbullying and what to do if their children
are impacted. The first steps for all parents is to educate
themselves about the signs of cyberbullying and learn
how to establish an open line of communication with their
children," added Chopra.
Signs of Cyberbullying
Some of the signs that indicate a child is being cyberbullied
include:
They appear nervous when receiving a text/online message or
email
Habits with devices change. They may begin avoiding their
devices or using them excessively
They make excuses to avoid going to school

They become defensive or secretive about online activity
They withdraw from friends and family
They have physical symptoms such as trouble sleeping, stomach
aches, headaches, and weight loss or gain
They begin falling behind in school or acting out
Their grades start declining
They appear especially angry, frustrated or sad, particularly
after going online/checking devices
They delete social media or email accounts
About the Norton Cyber Security Insights Report
The Norton Cyber Security Insights Report is an online survey
of 20,907 device users ages 18+ across 21 markets,
commissioned by Norton by Symantec and produced by research
firm Edelman Intelligence. The margin of error
for the total sample is +/-0.68%. The India parenting sample
reflects input from 1,028 device users ages 18+, 593
of whom are parents. The margin of error is +/- 3.1% for the
total India sample, +/-4% among Indian parents. Data
was collected Sept. 14 - Oct. 4, 2016 by Edelman Intelligence.
Copyright 2017 Cyber Media (India) Ltd., distributed by
Contify.com
Credit: Adeesh Sharma

DETAILS
Location: India
Identifier / keyword: cyber security advice security
Publication title: PCQuest; Gurgaon
Publication year: 2017
Publication date: Jan 23, 2017
Publisher: Athena Information
Solution
s Pvt. Ltd.
Place of publication: Gurgaon
Country of publication: India, Gurgaon
Publication subject: Computers--Personal Computers
ISSN: 0971216X

Source type: Magazines
LINKS
Check for full text via 360 Link
Terms and Conditions Contact ProQuest
Language of publication: English
Document type: News
ProQuest document ID: 1860810828
Document URL:
cview/186081082
8?accountid=28365
Copyright: Copyright 2017 Cyber Media (India) Ltd.,

distributed by Contify.com
Last updated: 2017-01-25
Database: ProQuest Central
http://VE5GS5DB8S.search.serialssolutions.com?ctx_ver=Z39.8
8-2004&ctx_enc=info:ofi/enc:UTF-
8&rfr_id=info:sid/ProQ:hightechjournals&rft_val_fmt=info:ofi/
fmt:kev:mtx:journal&rft.genre=article&rft.jtitle=PCQuest&rft.a
title=54%25%20Parents%20Worried%20About%20Cyber%20Bu
llying%20of%20Kids:%20Norton%20Research&rft.au=Sharma,
%20Adeesh&rft.aulast=Sharma&rft.aufirst=Adeesh&rft.date=20
17-01-
23&rft.volume=&rft.issue=&rft.spage=&rft.isbn=&rft.btitle=&r
ft.title=PCQuest&rft.issn=0971216X&rft_id=info:doi/
https://search.proquest.com/info/termsAndConditions
http://www.proquest.com/go/pqissupportcontact54% Parents
Worried About Cyber Bullying of Kids: Norton Research

Principles of Marketing 4.0
Jeff Tanner and Mary Anne Raymond
©FlatWorld 2018
1
PUBLISHED BY:
FLATWORLD
©2018 BY FLATWORLD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. YOUR
USE OF THIS WORK IS SUBJECT TO THE LICENSE
AGREEMENT AVAILABLE.
NO PART OF THIS WORK MAY BE USED, MODIFIED, OR
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM BY ANY MEANS EXCEPT AS
EXPRESSLY PERMITTED UNDER THE LICENSING
AGREEMENT.
©FlatWorld 2018
CHAPTER 14

Customer Satisfaction, Loyalty, and Empowerment
©FlatWorld 2018
CUSTOMER EMPOWERMENT
PROVIDING TOOLS THAT ENABLE CUSTOMERS TO TAKE
CONTROL OR INFLUENCE MARKETING
©FlatWorld 2018
4
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand strategies involving online and personal forms of
influencer marketing.
Relate influencer marketing to other forms of social
communities and marketing strategies.
©FlatWorld 2018

5
CUSTOMER COMMUNITIES
Word of Mouth: the passing of information and opinions
verbally.
Word of mouth has a powerful influence on purchasing
decisions.
Buzz: refers to the amount of word of mouth going on in a
market.
Companies try to create buzz about their products by:
Sending press releases
Holding events
Offering free samples
Writing blogs
Releasing podcasts.
©FlatWorld 2018
6
CUSTOMER COMMUNITIES
Some companies consider customer service to be a marketing

channel and train their customer service representatives to
identify sales opportunities and pitch products.
AOL
Some airlines
Banks
Other companies consider customer service to be a marketing
channel only for generating positive word of mouth.
Do a great job with tough customers and encourage a positive
review on a website.
This latter perspective recognizes that when customers want
service, they don’t want to be sold, but it also recognizes that
empowered customers can help market a product.
©FlatWorld 2018
7
INFLUENCER PANELS
©FlatWorld 2018

8
Influencer marketing
Targeting people known to influence others.
community
Social group that centers its attention on a particular brand or
product category.
Social network
Another term for a community.
IDENTIFYING MEMBERS OF INFLUENCER PANELS

CharacteristicDefinitionActive InfluencerWilling to tell others,
but more important, others listen and act on the influencer’s
opinion.InterestedHas a greater intrinsic interest in the product
category than the average user.Heavy UserActually uses or
consumes the offering regularly, preferably more than the
average user.LoyalSticks to one brand when it works. Note,
however, that this category could include someone who isn’t
loyal because the right offering meeting his or her needs hasn’t
yet been created.Lead UserWilling to try new products and offer
feedback. In some instances, modifies an offering to suit their
own needs; you want lead users to suggest the modifications so
you can see how and why they do so.
©FlatWorld 2018
9
HOW TO FIND INFLUENCERS
They have to be actively recruited.
Ask a customer to take a survey.
Send random surveys to identify good panel participants.

©FlatWorld 2018
10
THREE QUESTIONS TO ASK BEFORE ACTIVATING A
PANEL
What results are expected from the influencer panel?
How much are the panel members willing to do?
What’s in it for the panel members?
©FlatWorld 2018
11
SOCIAL MEDIA
Social Networking Sites: Facebook and LinkedIn are used to
create communities.
Viral Marketing: The spread of the company’s message (like a
computer virus) through the community.
Blogs: A form of online communication that help spread viral
marketing messages.

Social media: A catchall phrase for the online channels of
communication that build communities
Social media includes social networking sites, blogs, podcasts,
wikis, vlogs (video blogs), and other Internet-based applications
that enable consumers to contribute content.
Social media spending for marketing purposes doubled in 2008
and continued to rise through 2011 despite the poor economy. In
fact, Forester, a respected research company, estimated
spending to top over $3 billion in 2014!
©FlatWorld 2018
12
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Customer communities form around social networks, which
marketers can use to both promote offerings and gather market
information.
Companies create influencer panels that provide insight into
effective offerings and provide word of mouth.
©FlatWorld 2018

13
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand the value of customer loyalty.
Distinguish attitudinal loyalty from behavioral loyalty.
Describe the components of a successful loyalty program.
©FlatWorld 2018
14
LOYALTY MANAGEMENT
Early research on loyalty showed that loyal customers were:
Less expensive to market to,
More willing to pay a premium for a particular brand,
More willing to try new products under the brand name,
More likely to recommend the brand to their friends,
More willing to overlook a problem related to the brand.
Loyalty has two dimensions
Behavioral loyalty: The customer buys the product regularly and
does not respond to competitors’ offerings.

Attitudinal loyalty: The degree to which the customer prefers or
likes the brand.
©FlatWorld 2018
15
LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Data collected from loyalty programs can be useful for
designing and improving the company’s offerings.
Cross-Promotion: A method in which two or more groups act
together to reach potential customers.
MARKETING EFFORTS THAT REWARD A PERSON OR

ORGANIZATION FOR FREQUENT PURCHASES AND THE
CONSUMPTION OF OFFERINGS
©FlatWorld 2018
16
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF LOYALTY PROGRAMS
©FlatWorld 2018
17
CRITERIA FOR SUCCESSFUL LOYALTY PROGRAMS
Good Performance by a company.
Responsiveness by a company.
Shared identity among participants.
Clear benefits.
Community development.

©FlatWorld 2018
18
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Customer loyalty is both behavioral and attitudinal. Habitual
purchases are a form of behavioral loyalty.
Cause-related marketing can foster attitudinal loyalty among a
company’s community of customers, as can loyalty programs.
Loyalty programs can have four positive effects:
Increase the longevity, or lifetime value, of customers
Block competitors’ marketing efforts
Encourage customers to buy related offerings
Accelerate their purchases
Loyalty programs don’t automatically create loyalty among
customers, though. Loyalty is created when a company performs
well, responds to its customers, identifies its loyal customers,
makes the benefits of its loyalty program transparent (obvious),
and when the firm builds a community among its customers.

©FlatWorld 2018
19
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand satisfaction and satisfaction strategies.
Design a customer satisfaction measurement system.
Describe complaint management strategies.
©FlatWorld 2018
20
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Improving customer satisfaction is a goal sought by many
businesses.

Customer satisfaction scores have been relatively stable for the
past few years.
A company’s performance on key factors is critical both in
terms of the loyalty and satisfaction it generates among its
customers.
FEELING THAT A PERSON EXPERIENCES WHEN AN
OFFERING MEETS THEIR EXPECTATIONS
©FlatWorld 2018
21
CUSTOMER SATISFACTION STRATEGIES
Two critical ways to improve customer satisfaction
Establish appropriate expectations in the minds of customers.
Deliver on those expectations.
Another customer satisfaction strategy involves offering
customers warranties and guarantees
Postpurchase dissonance: A form of dissatisfaction; is more
likely to occur when an expensive product is purchased, the
buyer purchases it infrequently and has little experience with it
and there is a perception that it is a high-risk purchase.

©FlatWorld 2018
22
MEASURING CUSTOMER SATISFACTION
Effective customer satisfaction measures have several
components:
Customer’s expectations
Whether the organization performed well enough to meet them
Degree of satisfaction
©FlatWorld 2018
23
COMPLAINT MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
Verbal terrorists: people who use every Internet site possible to
bash a company.

Net promoter score: the number of recommenders an offering
has minus the number of complainers.
When a complaint is made, the process for responding to it is as
important as the outcome.
A company that outsources its service nonetheless has to make
sure that customer complaints are handled as diligently as
possible so that customers are not left with a poor impression.
©FlatWorld 2018
24
HANDLING THE COMPLAINT PROCESS
Listen carefully to the complaint.
Acknowledge the customer’s feelings.
Determine the root cause of the problem.
Offer a solution.
Gain agreement on the solution and communicate the process of
resolution.
Follow up, if appropriate.
Record the complaint and resolution.

©FlatWorld 2018
25
OFFERING FAILURE
Failures can be attributed to one (or more) of the following four
gaps:
The communication gap: Overstating the offering’s performance
level, thereby creating unrealistic expectations on the part of
customers.
The knowledge gap: Not understanding the customer’s
expectations or needs, which then leads a company to create a
product that disappoints the customer.
The standards gap: Setting performance standards that are too
low despite what is known about the customers’ requirements.
The delivery gap: Failing to meet the performance standards
established for an offering.
©FlatWorld 2018

26
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Measuring customer satisfaction is an important element of
customer empowerment. But satisfaction alone is a minimal
level of acceptable performance. It means that the customer’s
expectations were met.
Getting positive word of mouth requires exceeding those
expectations. To minimize the number of complaints a company
needs an effective process of both handling complaints and
understanding their causes so any problems can be corrected.
Because the complaint process itself is subject to complaints,
monitoring your firm’s customer satisfaction levels also means
you must monitor how satisfied customers are with your
company’s complaint handling system.
©FlatWorld 2018
27
LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Apply general ethical principles and concepts to online
marketing.
Explain the laws that regulate online and other types of
marketing.
©FlatWorld 2018
28
ETHICS
Sugging: Selling under a guise or phony front. While sugging
isn’t illegal, it isn’t fair.
Caveat emptor: “let the buyer beware” or “it’s your own fault if
you buy it and it doesn’t work!”
©FlatWorld 2018
29

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS
Currently, there are no regulations regarding sugging.
The CAN-SPAM Act prohibits the use of e-mail, faxes, and
other technology to randomly push a message to a potential
consumer.
Spam: unwanted commercial emails similar to junk mail.
Permission marketing: a term that was created to suggest that
marketers should always ask for permission to sell or to offer
buyers marketing messages.
Because of trust issues and the overuse of permission
marketing, many consumers create dump accounts, or e-mail
addresses they use whenever they need to register for something
online.
©FlatWorld 2018
30
PRIVACY LAWS
U.S. privacy laws apply to both Internet marketing and other

forms of commerce.
The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 requires financial
institutions to provide written notice of their privacy policies.
Privacy policies: statements regarding how a company will use
and protect a consumer’s private data.
Privacy policies and privacy laws apply to both business
customers and individual consumers.
The Uniform Commercial Code (UCC): a group of laws that
govern commercial practices in the United States.
©FlatWorld 2018
31
WARRANTY

Expressed warranty: an oral or written statement regarding how
the product should perform and the remedies available to the
consumer in the event the offering fails.
Implied warranty: an obligation for the seller to provide an
offering of at least average quality, beyond any written
statements.
A PROMISE BY THE SELLER THAT AN OFFERING WILL
PERFORM AS THE SELLER SAID IT WOULD
©FlatWorld 2018
32
PROTECTING YOUR COMPANY
As marketer, you have an obligation to protect your company
from consumers who might not have honest intentions.
A bot, which is short for robot, is a kind of program that
performs automatic functions online.
Phishing: soliciting personal information in order to steal an
identity and use it to fraudulently generate cash.
It is very difficult to protect against phishing, so making sure
your customer contact policies protect your customers can also

protect them against phishing from someone pretending to be
you or your company.
©FlatWorld 2018
33
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Sugging is selling under any phony type of front. It includes
posting fake reviews about products online. Sugging damages a
seller’s trust among buyers and should never be done.
U.S. laws govern how products can be marketed, both those that
are sold electronically and through more traditional channels.
Companies must have permission before they can send you
spam, and they have to tell you how they will gather and use
your personal information.
Warranties—expressed and implied—are binding no matter how
companies deliver them.
Good marketers anticipate less-than-honest activities by
individuals and take steps to prevent them.
Bots are online robots that some people use to take advantage of
marketers.

©FlatWorld 2018
34
Case Analysis and Questions
Reagan Technologies
Mike Reagan and his brother, Marc, were justifiably proud of
their company. What they began as a paint distributor some
forty years ago, fresh out of college, had grown into one of the
largest specialty painting contractors in the U.S., and likely the
world. What their company does is paint ships, which may not
sound difficult, but when one considers that every surface on a
ship, including some in some very tight places, has to be
painted and repainted over time, it becomes easy to see that
your average painter wouldn’t be able to do the job. In fact, the
company has the best safety record and is known for developing
new, safer methods for ship painting. As a result, the company
employed 1,200 people, 1,100 of whom were highly trained
specialists in marine painting. Now, as Mike just turned seventy

and Marc wasn’t far behind, they were discussing the
company’s future.
“We need to find another business,” Mike was telling Marc over
coffee one morning. “Something that will flourish when times
are not so good for shipbuilding. And we need to find it quickly
so we can help get it going before we turn this company over to
Mike Junior and Addie.” Addie is Marc’s daughter, and the only
one of his children who had shown an interest in the family
business. She worked with her dad in taking care of the back
office functions (accounting, finance, IT, etc.) while Mike
Junior worked with his dad to oversee the painting operations.
One truth about shipbuilding is that the industry is highly
cyclical—governments don’t build navies during peace, for
example. Another truth about shipbuilding is that there is no
sales force, because all jobs are put out for bid. Government
jobs don’t require a salesperson, just a good proposal, and
Reagan Technologies had a solid proposal-writing team. But
even with that strong team, the company’s revenue would
plummet when the U.S. Navy wasn’t building new ships.
Marc replied, “I think I have an idea. I got a call last week from
Shore Insulation and Fireproofing. They want to rent our
scaffolds from us on the U.S.S. Bankston job when they do the
insulation. And they’re not the only ones. I’ve had several calls
from companies in the area asking if we rent scaffolding.
There’s a lot of companies in construction, maintenance, and

building repair that rent scaffolding.”
Mike had a quizzical look on his face as he said, “But we don’t
know anything about that business.”
“We know how to put up and take down scaffolding safely, and
safety is a big issue. With our safety record, we should be able
to win a lot of business,” Marc responded. “Plus, this should be
relatively steady income, in addition to the painting business.
With our locations in the shipyards all across the Gulf and up
and down the east coast, we should be able to serve just about
anything east of the Mississippi River.”
“Yeah, but how do we get the business? We’ll need salespeople
because right now, you and I are the only ones in this company
with sales experience, and I don’t have time for that!”
Discussion Questions
1. What would marketing do for the new division? What would
its role be, and what would you consider success for marketing?
2. What type of sales position would they need, and what are
several sales strategies they might could
Principles of Marketing 4.0
Jeff Tanner and Mary Anne Raymond

©FlatWorld 2018
1
PUBLISHED BY:
FLATWORLD
©2018 BY FLATWORLD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. YOUR
USE OF THIS WORK IS SUBJECT TO THE LICENSE
AGREEMENT AVAILABLE.
NO PART OF THIS WORK MAY BE USED, MODIFIED, OR
REPRODUCED IN ANY FORM BY ANY MEANS EXCEPT AS
EXPRESSLY PERMITTED UNDER THE LICENSING
AGREEMENT.
©FlatWorld 2018
CHAPTER 13
PROFESSIONAL SELLING
©FlatWorld 2018

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Recognize the role professional selling plays in society and in
firms’ marketing strategies.
Identify the different types of sales positions.
©FlatWorld 2018
4
WHAT SALESPEOPLE DO
©FlatWorld 2018
5
CREATE VALUE FOR THEIR FIRMS’ CUSTOMERS
MANAGE RELATIONSHIPS

RELAY CUSTOMER AND MARKET INFORMATION BACK
TO THEIR ORGANIZATIONS
SALESPEOPLE’S RESPONSIBILITIES
The salesperson has a fiduciary responsibility to the company
and an ethical responsibility to the buyer.
At times, however, the two responsibilities conflict with one
another.
For example, what should a salesperson do if the product meets
only most of a buyer’s needs, while a competitor’s product is a
perfect fit?
©FlatWorld 2018
6
CREATING VALUE
Salespeople sell—that’s the bulk of the value they deliver to
their employers.

Salespeople aren’t appropriate channels for companies in all
situations.
Salespeople can be the best channel to reach customers in
situations requiring:
Adaptation
Customer education
Other value-adding activities
©FlatWorld 2018
7
MANAGING RELATIONSHIPS
Sales representatives have to decide which accounts they have
the best shot at winning and which are the most lucrative.
Salespeople recognize that business is not about making friends,
but about making and retaining customers.
©FlatWorld 2018

8
GETTING INFORMATION
Salespeople are boundary spanners: they operate outside the
boundaries of the firm and in the field.
Salespeople interact directly with customers and, in so doing,
gather a great deal of useful information about their needs.
©FlatWorld 2018
9
TYPES OF SALES POSITIONS
Using activities as a basis, there are four basic types of
salespeople: missionary salespeople, trade salespeople,
prospectors, and account managers.
In some discussions, you’ll hear that there are three types:
Order getters
Order takers
Sales support

The four we describe in this book are all types of order getters;
that is, they actively seek to make sales by calling on
customers.
©FlatWorld 2018
10
MISSIONARY SALESPEOPLE
A missionary salesperson calls on people who make decisions
about products but don’t actually buy them.
While they call on individuals, the relationship is business-to-
business.
There are salespeople who also work with “market influencers.”
©FlatWorld 2018
11

TRADE SALESPEOPLE
SOMEONE WHO CALLS ON RETAILERS AND HELPS THEM
DISPLAY, ADVERTISE, AND SELL PRODUCTS TO
CONSUMERS
©FlatWorld 2018
12
PROSPECTORS
Prospectors often knock on a lot of doors and make a lot of
phone calls, which is called cold calling.
SALESPERSON WHOSE PRIMARY FUNCTION IS TO FIND
PROSPECTS, OR POTENTIAL CUSTOMERS

©FlatWorld 2018
13
ACCOUNT MANAGERS
Account managers also have to identify lead users.
Account managers work closely with these lead users and build
relationships across both their companies so that the two
organizations can innovate together.
RESPONSIBLE FOR ONGOING BUSINESS WITH A
CUSTOMER WHO USES A PRODUCT
©FlatWorld 2018

14
OTHER TYPES
Order takers and sales support do not actively solicit business.
Order takers include:
Retail sales clerks
Salespeople who sell for distributors of products like plumbing
supplies or electrical products who sell to plumbers and
electricians
Sales support work with salespeople to help make a sale and to
take care of the customer after the sale.
©FlatWorld 2018
15
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Salespeople act as representatives for other people, including
employees who work in other parts of their companies.
Salespeople create value for their customers, manage
relationships, and gather information for their firms.
There are four types of salespeople:

Missionary salespeople
Trade salespeople
Prospectors
Account managers
©FlatWorld 2018
16
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand the types of selling relationships that firms seek.
Be able to select the selling strategy needed to achieve the
desired customer relationship.
©FlatWorld 2018
17
CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS

Serving one large customer can often be more profitable than
serving several smaller customers.
Marketers also want stronger relationships with customers who
are innovative, such as lead users.
Salespeople are tasked with maintaining relationships with
market influencers who are not their customers.
©FlatWorld 2018
18
TYPES OF SALES RELATIONSHIPS
Transactional relationships: each sale is a separate exchange
and the two parties have little or no interest in maintaining an
ongoing relationship.
Functional relationships: limited, ongoing relationships that
develop when a buyer continues to purchase a product from a
seller out of habit, as long as her needs are met.
Affiliative selling relationships: more likely to occur when the
buyer needs a significant amount of expertise from the seller
and trust is an issue.

Strategic Partnership: buyer and seller commit time and money
to expand “the pie” for both parties.
©FlatWorld 2018
19
THE RELATIONSHIP CONTINUUM
©FlatWorld 2018
20
SELLING STRATEGIES
Script-based or canned selling: Salespeople memorize and
deliver sales pitches verbatim.
Needs-satisfaction selling: asking questions to identify a
buyer’s problems and needs, and then tailoring a sales pitch to

satisfy those needs.
Consultative selling: the seller uses special expertise to solve a
complex problem in order to create a somewhat customized
solution.
Strategic-partner selling: both parties invest resources and share
their expertise with each other to create solutions that jointly
grow one another’s businesses.
©FlatWorld 2018
21
CHOOSING THE RIGHT SALES STRATEGY
The sales-strategy types and relationship types discussed don’t
always perfectly match up.
Different strategies might be more appropriate at different
times.
The appropriateness of each method depends on how the buyer
wants to buy, and what information the buyer needs to make a
good decision.

©FlatWorld 2018
22
THE TYPICAL SALES PROCESS
©FlatWorld 2018
23
PRE-APPROACH AND PLANNING
A salesperson may use a variety of resources to find the right
person to call:
LinkedIn
Google
Financial databases (Standard & Poor’s)
Internal data
Such extensive pre-call planning doesn’t always happen,
although a lot can be accomplished through judicious use of
web-based resources.

In this stage, the salesperson is attempting to convince the
buyer to spend time exploring the possibility of a purchase.
©FlatWorld 2018
24
NEEDS IDENTIFICATION
In complex situations, many questions are asked.
These questions will follow the SPIN outline or something
similar.
Highly complex situations may require that questions be asked
of many people in the buying organization.
In simpler situations, needs may not vary so a canned
presentation can be used. Then, instead of identifying needs,
needs are simply listed as solutions are described.
©FlatWorld 2018

25
PRESENTATION
Shows how the offering satisfies the needs identified earlier.
One approach to presenting solutions uses statements called
FEBAs.
FEBA stands for feature, evidence, benefit, and agreement.
©FlatWorld 2018
26
OBJECTIONS
Concerns or reasons not to buy raised by the prospect, and can
occur at any time.
A prospect may object in the approach, for example, saying
there isn’t enough time available for a sales call or nothing is
needed right now.
Or, during the presentation, a buyer may not like a particular
feature.
Salespeople should probe to find out if the objection represents
a misunderstanding or a hidden need.

When all the objections are resolved to the buyer’s satisfaction,
the salesperson should ask for the sale (close).
©FlatWorld 2018
27
CLOSING
A request for a decision or commitment from the buyer.
There are different types of closes. Some of these include:
Direct request
Minor point
Summary
©FlatWorld 2018
28
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Some buyers and sellers are more interested in building strong
relationships with one another than others.

The four types of relationships between buyers and sellers are
transactional, functional, affiliative, and strategic. The four
basic sales strategies salespeople use are script-based selling,
needs-satisfaction selling, consultative selling, and strategic-
partner selling.
Different strategies can be used with in different types of
relationships. For example, the same questioning techniques
used in needs-satisfaction selling might be used in relationships
characterized by consultative selling and strategic-partner
selling.
The sales process used to sell products is generally the same
regardless of the selling strategy used. However, the strategy
chosen will depend on the stage the seller is focusing on. For
example, if the problem is a new one that requires a customized
solution, the salesperson and buyer are likely to spend more
time in the needs identification stage. Consequently, a needs-
satisfaction strategy or consultation strategy is likely to be
used.
©FlatWorld 2018
29

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Describe the sales cycle.
Understand the selling metrics that salespeople use.
Understand the selling metrics that sales managers and
executives use.
©FlatWorld 2018
30
THE SALES CYCLE
©FlatWorld 2018
31
THE SALES CYCLE

©FlatWorld 2018
32
LEADS
Contact information about someone who might be interested in
the salesperson’s product
SUSPECTS
A person or organization that has an interest in an offering, but
it is too early to tell what or if they are going to buy.
PROSPECTS
Someone with the budget, authority, need, and time (BANT) to
make a purchase and will buy such a product of the type the

salesperson is selling soon.
CUSTOMER
The person decided to buy the salesperson’s product and
became a customer.
METRICS USED BY SALESPEOPLE
The key metric that salespeople are evaluated upon is the
revenues they generate.
Conversion ratios: measure how good a salesperson is at moving
customers from one stage in the selling cycle to the next.
Activity goals: number of sales calls of each type a
representative has to be make in a certain period of time.
Win-loss analysis: an “after the battle” review of how well a
salesperson performed given the opportunities she faced.
A bonus is paid at the end of a period of time based on the total
amount sold, while a commission is typically thought of as a
payment for each sale.

©FlatWorld 2018
33
ACTIVITIES AND CONVERSIONS DRIVING SALES
©FlatWorld 2018
34
METRICS USED BY SALES MANAGERS
Sales managers are interested in the same metrics as the
salesperson, plus others.
Sales managers look at other measures such as:
Market share
Sales by product
Sales by customer type
Sales per salesperson
Time is yet another element that sales managers look at.

Customer satisfaction is another important metric.
©FlatWorld 2018
35
KEY TAKEAWAYS
The sales cycle is a basic unit of measurement indicating how
long it takes to close a sale. Salespeople examine their
performance at each stage of the sales cycle in order to identify
specific areas for improvement.
A salesperson who shortens the cycle is able to generate more
revenue with the same amount of effort. Salespeople also track
their conversion ratios to identify which stages of the sales
cycle they need to work on.
Sales executives track the same metrics as individual
salespeople but at the aggregate level. If many salespeople are
struggling with one stage of the sales cycle, for example, then
additional training or marketing may be needed, or a new
strategy is necessary.
Sales executives also look at their firm’s sales relative to their
forecasts in order to spot possible trends. A firm’s sales trends
affect many of the other decisions the company’s executives

have to make, including manufacturing and output decisions.
Sales managers also have to manage their company’s selling
costs. Sales managers are often responsible for a firm’s sales
and its profit levels.
©FlatWorld 2018
36
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Compare and contrast common ethical challenges facing
salespeople and sales managers.
Describe steps companies take to ensure ethical sales activities.
©FlatWorld 2018
37
ETHICAL ISSUES FOR SALESPEOPLE
Many of the most common situations you could face as a
salesperson involve issues such as:

A customer asks for information about one of their competitors,
who happens to be one of your customers.
Deciding how much to spend on holiday season gifts for your
customers.
A buyer asks for something special, which you could easily
provide, but aren’t supposed to give away.
Deciding to play golf on a nice day, since no one knows if you
are actually at work or not.
©FlatWorld 2018
38
COMPANY SAFEGUARDS
The first step is to develop policies, based on the company’s
mission and values. Good ethical policies:
List appropriate and inappropriate behaviors
Describe the underlying principle
A good second step is to train all salespeople and sales
managers on the policy for several reasons:
To secure greater support and application of the policy.
Should a salesperson engage in an unethical or illegal activity,

the company is protected.
The company must also enforce the policy and have procedures
in place that make enforcement possible.
Codes of ethics, policies, and procedures affect all employees.
They are not created just because of salespeople.
©FlatWorld 2018
39
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Salespeople are, for the most part, caring, ethical professionals.
They do face unique ethical challenges because of their job,
including how to handle unethical requests from customers and
making sure that they know and follow all company policies for
interacting with customers.
American salespeople have the added constraint that what’s
illegal in the United States is illegal for them in other countries
because of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, even if the
behavior in question is acceptable to those countries’ laws and
practices.
Sales managers have all the usual management concerns, such
as fair hiring practices. According to the Federal Sentencing

Guidelines, managers also have to develop policies and
practices that codify ethical behaviors, train salespeople on the
ethics policies, and ensure that the policies are followed. In
addition, sales managers have to be aware of laws such as the
Universal Commercial Code and others that govern sales
transactions.
©FlatWorld 2018
40
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify the ways in which the marketing function supports the
sales function.
Describe how the sales group of a company can support its
marketing efforts.
©FlatWorld 2018
41

MARKETING SHORTENS THE SALES CYCLE
A company’s marketing activities include:
Creating advertising and promotional campaigns
Participating in trade shows
Preparing collateral (printed or digital material salespeople use
to support their message).
Lead management: the process of identifying and qualifying
leads in order to grow new business.
Closed-loop lead management systems: information systems that
are able to track leads all the way from the point at which the
marketer identifies them to when they are closed.
©FlatWorld 2018
42
CLOSED-LOOP MANAGEMENT
©FlatWorld 2018

43
MARKETING IMPROVES CONVERSION RATIOS
Lead Scoring: a process by which marketing personnel rate the
leads to indicate whether a lead is hot (ready to buy now), warm
(going to buy soon), or cold (interested but no immediate plans
to buy).
Marketing personnel can also improve salespeople’s
conversions by providing materials that help buyers make good
decisions.
©FlatWorld 2018
44
WHAT SALES DOES FOR MARKETING
Salespeople talk to customers every day. They are the “eyes and
ears” of their companies and know what customers want.
Salespeople communicate market feedback. They are
responsible for voicing their customers’ ideas and concerns to

other members of the organization.
Salespeople monitor the competition. They also track the
actions of their competitors, what customers buy, and enter the
information into their firms’ CRM systems.
©FlatWorld 2018
45
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Marketing personnel support a firm’s sales force by shortening
the sales cycle and improving conversions. The sales cycle is
shortened whenever a marketing activity or marketing
communication either eliminates a prospect’s need to take a step
in the sales cycle or speeds up the stages in the cycle.
Marketing managers also create printed and digital materials
called collateral designed to help persuade buyers.
Lead management and lead scoring are two other ways in which
marketing professionals help their firm’s salespeople. If a
closed-loop lead management is used, marketing managers can
determine what tactics and messages works best and make

sound marketing investments.
In turn, salespeople support marketing personnel by
communicating their customers’ needs and ideas back to them.
Salespeople are also the first to spot the actions of competing
firms, including which companies and products are the strongest
competitors. The marketing department then uses the
information to create better marketing messages, sales
strategies, offerings, or a combination of the three.
©FlatWorld 2018
46
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Identify the primary types of outsourcing salespeople.
Characterize the strengths and weaknesses of outsourcing sales
groups.
©FlatWorld 2018

47
TYPES OF OURSOURCED SALESPEOPLE
Companies can outsource all or part of the sales cycle.
Independent agents: salespeople who are not employees of the
company.
They set their own hours.
They determine their own activities.
They are paid on a straight commission basis.
Independent agents often sell competing products.
Manufacturer’s representatives: agents that sell a
manufacturer’s product.
They don’t sell competing products.
©FlatWorld 2018
48
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF OUTSOURCING

©FlatWorld 2018
49
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Outsourcing the sales function can be done through distributors,
independent agents, and manufacturers’ representatives, as well
as other types of sales organizations. The entire sales cycle can
be outsourced or only parts of it. Outsourcing can cost less and
requires less investment than a company-employed sales force.
Moreover, independent agents, distributors, and manufacturers’
representatives often have established relationships that make it
easier for a company to enter and penetrate new markets.
Outsourcing the sales function(s) means that a company will
lose some control over its sales activities. To counteract that
loss of control, companies try to devise attractive compensation
schemes, as well as effective marketing strategies for the
independent sales organizations and people with whom they
work. Companies also hire sales managers to manage the
relationships with the outsourced sales staff.

©FlatWorld 2018
50
Economic Interferences AE
Vol. 21 • No. 51 • May 2019 409
HARASSMENT AND BULLYING AMONG STUDENTS
IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: MANIFESTATION
OF SINGLE CASES OF HARASSMENT AND BULLYING IN
ASPECTS
OF DEMOGRAPHIC VARIABLES
Jolita Vveinhardt1, Vilija Bite Fominiene2, Regina

Andriukaitiene3
and Dalia Streimikiene4∗
1)Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas, Lithuania
2)3)4) Lithuanian Sports University, Kaunas, Lithuania
Please cite this article as:
Vveinhardt, J., Fominiene, V.B., Andriukaitiene, R.
and Streimikiene, D., 2019. Harassment and Bullying
among Students in Higher Education Institutions:
Manifestation of Single Cases of Harassment and
Bullying in Aspects of Demographic Variables.
Amfiteatru Economic, 21(51), pp. 409-426.
DOI: 10.24818/EA/2019/51/409
Article History
Received: 15 November 2018
Revised:3 February 2019
Accepted: 2 March 2019:

Abstract
The research goal - to analyse manifestations of single cases of
harassment and bullying in
students' inter-relationship and to compare them in aspects of
socio-demographic variables.
623 students studying at Lithuanian higher education
institutions were questioned. We
determined a dependence of harassment and bullying on
respondents' age: they were
experienced more often by 18-30 year-old students, whereas
older students' complaints
were less. Older students more often requested for active policy
of higher education
institutions in preventing negative relations. Women showed
more initiative in seeking for
help, unlike men, experience of negative relations of which was
higher in the past.
Harassment and bullying were more experienced by the students
studying at higher
education colleges, unlike those studying at universities. The
research results are significant
in striving for better perception of impact of harassment and
bullying at higher education
institutions on demographic variables and negative inter-

personal relationship experienced
at school age. This knowledge is necessary for higher education
institutions preparing and
developing a prevention of harassment and bullying.
Keywords: harassment, bullying, demographic variables, higher
education colleges,
universities, students.
JEL Classification: I20, I23, O15, P46
∗ Corresponding author, Dalia Streimikiene - [email protected]
AE Harassment and Bullying among Students in Higher
Education Institutions:
Manifestation of Single Cases of Harassment
and Bullying in Aspects of Demographic Variables
410 Amfiteatru Economic

Introduction
Higher education institutions constantly face challenges of
diversity management. Studying
at higher education institution is selected by students of very
different age, different inter-
personal relationship, working, learning and other experience,
representatives of different
ethnic or social groups. That means that the obtained experience
and knowledge might
determine very different reactions to harassment and bullying
and decisions taken, which
has to be taken into account by higher education institutions'
administrations in striving to
ensure safe environment of studies. Students' safety is an
important part of higher education
institution's policy, which affects not only students'
psychological well-being. Bullying is a
strong source of stress (Hoel, Zapf and Cooper, 2002) and very
negatively affects victim's
physical and mental health, it is related to induced depression,
anxiety, low self-esteem,
loneliness and hopelessness, which might lead to suicide
attempts (Hong, Kral and
Sterzing, 2014). Harassment and bullying also negatively affect

study process, and
influence a decision to choose one or another university, taking
into account public
responses - it is determined that selections of future students
depend on how an education
institution guaranties safety (Shelley et al., 2017).
Over the last decades there were performed quite a few
harassment and bullying studies at
work place, i.e. between students and lecturers (e.g., DeSouza,
2010) or between higher
education institutions' staff (e.g., Kang and Sidhu, 2015),
however, some negative aspects
of students' inter-relationship remain as if in a particular grey
zone, and perpetrators not
always remain identified and punished (Vidu et al., 2014; Valls
et al., 2016). Conclusions
of some researches on harassment and bullying performed in
different cultures highlight
that, in striving to ensure students' well-being, prevention
policy of education institutions is
important in tackling the problems related to bullying, assessing
both direct interpersonal
relationship and tendencies of rapid spread of bullying in
cyberspace (DeSouza and

Ribeiro, 2005; Valls et al., 2016; Betts et al., 2016; Myers and
Cowie, 2017; etc.). Its
importance grows when it's set that persons belonging to more
than one disadvantaged
groups more often suffer from assaults (Andersson et al., 2017),
and some continuity exists,
because bullying in childhood is related to aggressive behaviour
when the person is an adult
already (Sansone, Leung and Wiederman, 2012).
All that indicates both impact of student’s experience and wide
and sophisticated reasons'
spectrum related to individual demographic and social
characteristics of a victim, which are
important to be considered by the managers of higher education
institutions who organize a
policy directed against harassment and bullying. It is also very
important to assess students'
previous bullying experience and differences of the persons
choosing different institutions
that is colleges and universities.
The research goal is to analyse manifestations of single cases of
harassment and bullying in
students' inter-relationship and to compare them in aspects of

socio-demographic variables.
1. Review of the scientific literature
Modern society expects that the graduate of higher education
will become its full-fledged
member - creative, communicating and cooperating as well as
able to tackle efficiently life
problems. Young people also expect that higher education
studies will affect their future
Vol. 21 • No. 51 • May 2019 411
and successful career. In striving for these goals, a safe learning
environment in higher
education also becomes an important component (Chekwa,
Thomas Jr. and Jones, 2013),
where importance of good socio-psychological climate is
highlighted in addition to the
physical one (Hagenauer and Volet, 2014). Unfortunately, the

researches, although stating
endeavour of higher education institutions to create an
environment favourable to
education, also reveal manifestations of various forms of
aggression inside it (Aleid, 2016),
where bullying is distinguished as the most dominating
aggression form (Piotrowski and
King, 2016).
Bullying is a multifaceted phenomenon, spread in a society
widely enough. At the same
time, it is also a very personal experience of each person
(Meriläinen, Puhakka and
Sinkkonen, 2015). Such amplitude of the phenomenon also
determines its conceptions'
diversity that is related to both the research context and the use
of the concepts in different
cultures and languages. First, bullying can be understood as a
repeated form of aggressive
behaviour - systematic abuse of power. However, to describe
the concept of bullying, the
most often used concept is a wider one, explaining that it is
“unwanted aggressive
behaviour” that “inflicts harm or distress,” and is “repeated
multiple times or is highly

likely to be repeated” in the context of an “observed or
perceived power differential”
(Patchin and Hinkduja, 2015).
To better understand and research this phenomenon, it is
divided into different types and
analysed in different contexts. And though bullying can occur
in different social settings
all around world - school, home, workplace, army, prison or
other places (Monks et al.,
2009), here it is manifests into both direct and indirect modes.
During direct bullying, the
victims are being openly threatened, nicknamed, harassed,
attacked, beaten, kicked.
Meanwhile, indirect bullying is when manipulation of social
relationships occurs on
purpose to hurt. Also bullying, considering its commonest
forms, is divided into physical,
verbal, relational or social and cyber. The most common
bullying forms, usually ascribed to
direct bullying, are physical and verbal bullying. During
physical bullying, the bullies use
force to cause physical harm to victims. Meanwhile, verbal
bullying, as one of the most
common forms of bullying, includes acts such as hurtful name-

calling, persistent teasing,
gossip, and racist or sexual remarks. During such bullying,
there are rumours, backbiting
spread on purpose to harm (Shaw et al., 2013). Meanwhile,
cyber bullying is supposed as
one of the most pernicious and contemporary. It is a form of
bullying when intentional and
repeating damage to person is done through computers, cell
phones and other electronic
devices (Patchin and Hinduja, 2015).
However, analysing manifestation of these modes and forms of
bullying, different
peculiarities of their manifestations were determined as well.
Direct bullying is common in
young children. When a child grows, direct physical bullying
gradually changes into verbal,
which gradually, when the child takes social understanding, turn
into indirect and remains
dominant. In dominance of ways and forms of bullying, gender
differences are significant
as well. Masculine gender is the gender that more often
participates in direct and especially
direct physical bullying, meanwhile, girls are more
implementing indirect or direct verbal

bullying (Smith, 2016; Jormanainen et al., 2014; Nishina,
Juvonen and Witkow, 2005; etc.).
Since it is recognized that bullying is an extremely negative
behaviour, their consequences
are painful and determine subsequent emotional and physical
state and behaviour of the
persons participating. The researches analysing the relation
between bullying
manifestations and participating persons determined that both
victims or bullies, and
bystanders become at risk for negative future outcomes.
Manifestations of bad mental or

physical health could be determined by both the level of
involvement into bullying and the
role taken. Victims of bullying most often suffer from
depression, anxiety, suicidal
thoughts, apathy, lack of personal satisfaction, feelings of
sadness, unhappiness, loneliness
or self-esteem, they more often face sleeping difficulties and
nervousness. Meanwhile,
being a bully can be related to highest use of tobacco, alcohol
and drugs in future,
criminality (Blood and Blood, 2016; Seixas, Coelho and
Nicholas-Fischer, 2013; Monks et
al., 2009; etc.).
Analysing bullying and its prevalence in various social
contexts, most researches state that
involvement in bullying is mainly suffered by children and
teenagers. Such understanding
determines the abundance of the researches preformed in the
environment of primary and
secondary schools (Patton et al., 2017). However, recently, with
emphasis that bullying
does not disappear with humans’ age, there is more and more
interest in bullying existence
in higher education, by recognizing it as a sensitive and still

unsolved problem (Kyriacou,
Mylonakou-Keke and Stephens, 2016). In this context, though
recognizing the lack of
researches (Lund and Ross, 2016), bullying is examined by
analysing both the relationship
between lecturers and students, and employees' relationship, and
analysing the relationship
between students (Marraccini, Weyandt and Rossi, 2015; Perry
and Blincoe, 2015;
Sinkkonen, Puhakka and Meriläinen, 2014; Serinkan et al.,
2013; etc.). These researches
can be performed by using different measures, such as
questionnaires, interviews, diaries,
observations that rely on different informants (Van Noorden et
al., 2015). However, while
analysing bullying and its prevalence in higher education, self-
report assessment is applied
most often, which helps to determine various bullying and
victimization experiences.
Manifestation of bullying and harassment in relationship is
determined from descriptions of
students' verbal and non-verbal communication, academic abuse
(Palaz, 2013, Celik and
Bayraktar, 2004), behaviour of persons suffering from bullying
and harassment (Cooper et

al., 2011) or damage suffered (Pickel and Gentry, 2017). The
researches often analyse
persons' experience in childhood or at other education
institutions (Holt et al., 2014; Adams
and Lawrence, 2011; Pontzer, 2010). The results of these
researches are interpreted with
reference to both various cultural or socio-economic factors,
education policies or
implemented intervention programmes, and various socio-
demographic characteristics of
the researched persons (Porhola et al., 2016; Meriläinen,
Puhakka and Sinkkonen, 2015).
Age, gender, ethnic origin, study course also might become
significant factors in
explanation of quantitative manifestations of bullying and
harassment in the context of
higher education (Goodboy, Martin and Goldman, 2016;
Pontzer, 2010).
The results of the researches that indicate existence of the
phenomenon in higher education,
often point out not only various negative psychosocial outcomes
to participants of bullying
process. Alongside the phenomena such as use of alcohol or
drugs, suicidal ideation, panic

attacks, stress and others (Birks et al., 2018; Cao, Wei and Cai,
2017; Jantzer and Cashel,
2017; Rospenda et al., 2014; etc.) a decision of the students
who suffered bullying to leave
higher education institution is also pointed out (Cornell et al.,
2013). In striving to avoid
various negative consequences and ensure students' well-being,
it is important not only to
declare such negative behaviour, but also to look for efficient
ways of solving the problem.
To this end, institutions of higher education increasingly
provide various prevention or
intervention programs, which are directed towards reduction of
aggressiveness in higher
education. Unfortunately, a considerable number of such
programmes or single measures
Vol. 21 • No. 51 • May 2019 413
are based on presumptions based on the researches performed in

the context of secondary
or primary education (Glass and Fireman, 2016). One of the
reasons is a lack of the
researches performed in the context of higher education.
2. Research methodology
The research instrument - questionnaire Bullying and Single
Cases of Harassment in
Higher Education Institutions (B-SCH-St) which consists of 10
dimensions covering 42
items: communication (4 items, covering the character of
student’s inter-communication in
higher education institution: harassing, ignoring, threatening,
etc.), personal reputation (4
items, covering critics of personal features, values, etc.),
student’s reputation (4 items,
covering the person’s reputation of a student by hiding
important information, criticizing
performed work, etc.), experienced harm (5 items, covering
worsening health, worsening
work results, stolen ideas and works, etc.), experiences at
school (4 items that aim at
determining current students’ experiences brought from school
in the aspect of pupil’s

destructive inter-relationship), reaction and behaviour (7 items,
describing students’
personal reaction and behaviour regarding students’ destructive
inter-relationship), possible
and existing intervention measures in higher education
institution (8 items revealing
students’ opinion what measures would help to avoid abusive
inter-relation among students
and 1 question, aimed at students’ proposals what could be done
so that such abusive
relationship would be avoided at the institution of higher
education) and 2 questions,
directly related to the topic being analysed (action of persons
who were appealed for help
and single case of harassment and bullying dimensions) and 6
questions related to
information about the student. Internal consistency (Cronbach’s
Coefficient Alpha) for all
dimensions satisfy the major validity conditions raised for
questionnaires because the
lowest value is 0.69, the highest - 0.88 (Vveinhardt et al, 2017;
Vveinhardt et al., in press).
During the research 623 students from two types of Lithuanian
higher education institutions

(9 universities and 9 higher education colleges) were
questioned. Among respondents was
67.6 percent women (N=421) and 32.4 percent men (N=202),
33.1 percent was from higher
education colleges and 66.9 percents from universities. The
greater part of the respondents
indicated that they are 21-25 year old (N=332). Others social
demographic characteristics of
the persons under research together with the research results are
presented in Tables no. 1-3.
The data collection procedure was realized in the months
September-November of the year
2017 in Lithuanian higher education institutions. The autors
were responsible for the data
collection and participation was entirely voluntary, confidential
and anonymous.
Statistical analysis of the research data was carried out using
SPSS (Statistical Package of
the Social Science) version 20.0. The following parameters were
calculated: chi-square
criterion, applying cross-tabs and Kruskal Wallis H criterion.

3. Research results
During the research, while sorting out whether bullying exists
in inter-relationship of higher
education institutions' students, it was determined that 81.54%
of respondents (N=508)
stated that they are not experiencing bullying. However, 18.46%
of the persons under
research (N=115) are experiencing bullying. They are often
suffered by 1.6% (N=10) of
respondents, and 17.82% (N=105) suffer bullying, but
occasionally. The research results
through seven dimensions were compared considering such
criteria: students' age, gender,

higher education institution's type and study cycle.
Table no. 1: Distribution of answers of students experiencing
single cases of harassment
and bullying in inter-personal relationship, in regard to age
groups and dimensions
Dimensions
18-20
year
old
21-25
year
old
26-30
year
old
31-35
year
old

36-45
year
old Chi-square verification
results
Kruskal-
Wallis
H
verification
results
N =
158
N =
332 N = 47 N = 44 N = 42
%
R.v.
%

R.v.
%
R.v.
%
R.v.
%
R.v.
X2 p X2 p
Communi-
cation
42.6% 36.7% 41.1% 20.5% 21.4% 11.234 0.024* – –
328.22 314.44 324.07 260.76 271.86 – – 9.809 0.044*
Personal
reputation
33.5% 32.8% 27.3% 25.5% 21.4% 3.695 0.449 – –

324.45 315.17 296.97 290.05 279.92 – – 4.715 0.318
Student's
reputation
35.4% 34.6% 34.0% 23.8% 25.0% 3.667 0.453 – –
320.10 316.05 311.59 279.70 283.82 – – 4.197 0.380
Experienced
harm
27.7% 32.5% 26.6% 18.2% 21.4% 6.179 0.186 – –
308.58 323.46 303.56 272.70 284.87 – – 7.147 0.128
Intervention
measures
67.2% 68.4% 81.0% 74.5% 77.3% 9.722 0.044* – –
292.18 302.24 368.24 344.26 366.98 – – 12.841 0.012*
Experience
at school

32.9% 26.8% 34.0% 29.5% 21.4% 3.704 0.448 – –
323.93 312.52 333.64 279.69 272.63 – – 4.839 0.304
Reaction
and
behaviour
74.5% 75.0% 72.9% 81.0% 76.6% 1.739 0.784 – –
304.98 310.47 294.22 335.94 345.31 – – 3.003 0.557
Notes: * - statistical significance level α = 0.05; ** - statistical
significance level α = 0.01.
R.v. – average of ranks.
The number of students experiencing single cases of harassment
and bullying in inter-
personal relationship, in some aspects significantly differs
depending on age (5 age groups
distinguished). Verified by chi-square criterion, applying cross-
tabs and Kruskal Wallis H
criterion, Table no. 2 presents the percentage of respondents'
assent and ranks' averages
calculated from total sum of points. All statements were coded

as negative, therefore, the
higher the value, the higher respondents' assent to distinguished
statements. Accentuated
value of reliability p indicates statistically significant
differences, in this case, in two
dimensions, i.e. in the dimensions „Communication” and
„Intervention measures”. When
percentage or average are very similar to each other, in the
sample of this research (and in a
particular dimension), then the determined difference is small
and, therefore, p in such
Vol. 21 • No. 51 • May 2019 415
cases does not indicate statistically significant differences.
Statistically significant p
signifies that differences would be recorded in case not only of
this, but of another sample
as well.

Analysing the communication dimension, it became clear that
communication in younger
age groups (18-30 years) is more complicated than in older age
groups (31-35 and 36-45
years). That means, the number of negative responses recorded
in the students' group of age
up to 30 years was almost double.
Respondents' responses recorded in the dimension of
intervention measures indicate that
the need for such measures is more highlighted in the age
groups from 26 to 45 years.
Students representing the groups of 18-20 and 21-25 years are
less categorical than the
persons belonging to older age groups. In this dimension,
negative-positive responses are
less significant than in the dimension "Communication".
Table no. 2: Distribution of answers of students, experiencing
single cases of harassment
and bullying in inter-personal relationship, in regard to gender
and dimensions
Dimensions

Women Man Chi-square
verification
results
Mann-Whitney U
verification
results N = 421 N = 202
%
R.v.
%
R.v.
X2 p U Z p
Communication
37.1% 34.2% 0.496 0.481 – – –
312.77 310.40 – – 42198.0 -0.179 0.858
Personal
reputation

31.2% 31.4% 0.002 0.967 – – –
310.25 315.65 – – 41784.5 -0.427 0.670
Student's
reputation
32.3% 35.6% 0.685 0.408 – – –
307.18 322.04 – – 40493.5 -1.153 0.249
Experienced
harm
28.3% 30.2% 0.248 0.618 – – –
308.86 318.55 – – 41198.0 -0.788 0.431
Intervention
measures
72.4% 63.9% 4.761 0.029* – – –
325.68 283.49 – – 36761.0 -2.742 0.006**

Experience at
school
25.7% 35.1% 6.010 0.014* – – –
301.34 334.23 – – 38031.5 -2.143 0.032*
Reaction and
behaviour
77.9% 67.8% 7.339 0.007** – – –
328.18 278.28 – – 35709.5 -3.274 0.001**
and bullying in inter-personal
relationship, in some aspects significantly differs depending on
gender, i.e. statistically

significant differences were recorded in three dimensions.
Verified by chi-square criterion,
applying cross-tabs and using Mann-Whitney U test (table no.
3). The results of the dimension
„Intervention measures” indicate, that female (students)
position regarding the need for
intervention measures at higher education institutions is
expressed stronger than that of male
(students). The results of the dimension „Experience at school”
indicate that men (students)
had more negative experience at school than women (students).
That means, male students
state that they experienced more bullying at school, saw more
cases of bullying, when they
kept out of the conflict in order to avoid suffering, or just paid
no attention. However, in the

dimension „Reaction and behaviour” it is highlighted that
women are more applying for help
regarding single cases of harassment and bullying in inter-
relationship than men. It can be
stated that such results could be conditioned by social
constructs related to behaviour (in this
case a reaction to negative behaviour) norms based on sexuality.
single cases
of harassment and bullying in inter-personal relationship, in
regard to type of higher
education institution and dimensions
Dimensions
Higher
education
college
Univer-
sity
Chi-square

verification
results
Mann-Whitney U
verification
results
N = 206 N = 417
%
R.v.
%
R.v.
X2 p U Z p
Communica-
tion
35.0% 36.7% 0.181 0.671 – – –
311.01 312.49 – – 42748.0 -0.112 0.911

Personal
reputation
27.7% 33.1% 1.886 0.17 – – –
302.97 316.46 – – 41091.5 -1.072 0.284
Student's
reputation
32.0% 34.1% 0.251 0.616 – – –
306.82 314.56 – – 41884.5 -0.603 0.546
Experienced
harm
25.2% 30.7% 1.995 0.158 – – –
301.16 317.35 – – 40718.5 -1.323 0.186
Intervention
measures
69.4% 69.8% 0.009 0.925 – – –

311.75 312.12 – – 42900.0 -0.024 0.981
Experience
at school
32.0% 27.1% 1.644 0.200 – – –
313.89 311.06 – – 42561.0 -0.185 0.853
Reaction
and
behaviour
69.9% 77.0% 3.647 0.046* – – –
291.84 321.96 – – 38798.5 -1.986 0.047*

Vol. 21 • No. 51 • May 2019 417
and bullying in inter-
personal relationship, in one aspect (out of seven analysed)
significantly differs depending
on the type of higher education institution. Verified by chi-
square criterion, applying cross-
tabs and using Mann-Whitney U test (table no. 4).
single cases
of harassment and bullying in inter-personal relationship, in
regard to study cycle
and dimensions
Dimensions
1 cycle
Bachelor
2 cycle
Master

Chi-square
verification
results
Mann-Whitney U
verification
results N = 543 N = 80
%
R.v.
%
R.v.
X2 p U Z p
Communica-
tion
36.6% 32.5% 0.520 0.471 – – –
315.54 287.97 – – 19797.5 -1.492 0.136

Personal
reputation
32.6% 22.5% 3.376 0.049* – – –
316.75 279.75 – – 19140.0 -2.092 0.036*
Student's
reputation
33.8% 33.3% 0.005 0.941 – – –
312.55 308.24 – – 21419.0 -0.240 0.811
Experienced
harm
29.5% 25.0% 0.677 0.411 – – –
314.51 294.96 – – 20356.5 -1.136 0.256
Intervention
measures
67.8% 82.5% 7.157 0.007** – – –

302.71 375.07 – – 16674.5 -3.361 0.001**
Experience
at school
29.1% 26.3% 0.276 0.599 – – –
313.69 300.56 – – 20805.0 -0.611 0.541
Reaction
and
behaviour
74.4% 76.3% 0.126 0.723 – – –
310.09 324.98 – – 20681.5 -0.698 0.485
In the dimension "Reaction and behaviour", statistically
significant differences between
university and non-university students are recorded. Thought
insignificantly, university

students react stronger to the situation than college students
(i.e. inform the responsible
persons or just the persons working at higher education
institution and not related to the
course/group directly; tell course/group fellows to whom they
are in good relationship, also
to friends outside the higher education institution and family
members).
4. Discussion
This study investigated Lithuanian universities and colleges
students’ involvement into

traditional forms of bullying. The results of the performed
research determined that 18.5 %
of the persons under research (N=115) experience bullying, i.e.,
negative actions of study
fellows, which continue not less than 6 …
Adolescents’ definitions of bullying: the contribution
of age, gender, and experience of bullying
Hollie Byrne1 & Barbara Dooley1,2 &
Amanda Fitzgerald1 & Louise Dolphin1
Abstract The aim of the present research was to examine
adolescents’ definitions of bullying
in a nationally representative sample of adolescents in Ireland.
Definitions of bullying were
examined according to age, gender, and bullying experiences. A
sample of 4358 adolescents
aged 12–19 years (M=14.99 years, SD=1.63) provided their
definitions of bullying as part of
the My World Survey-Second Level. The definitions were
explored using content analysis.
Adolescents differed in terms of their definition of bullying,

with younger students frequently
describing the nature of bullying as mean, while older students
displayed a heightened
awareness of the feelings associated with being a victim of
bullying. Older females and those
who had experienced bullying were more likely to discuss the
emotions associated with
bullying compared to males and those who had not been bullied.
Adolescent definitions of
bullying were not in line with widely accepted researcher
definitions. Recommendations are
made for researchers and those designing anti-bullying
interventions and educational
programmes.
Keywords Adolescence . Bullying . Victimisation . Intervention
. Qualitative
DOI 10.1007/s10212-015-0271-8
* Barbara Dooley
barb[email protected]
Hollie Byrne
[email protected]
Amanda Fitzgerald

[email protected]
Louise Dolphin
[email protected]
1 School of Psychology, University College Dublin, Newman
Building, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
2 Headstrong: The National Centre for Youth Mental Health, 16
Westland Square, Pearse Street, Dublin
2, Ireland
Eur J Psychol Educ (2016) 31:4 3–40 18
Received: 24 February 2015 /Revised: 29 September 2015
/Accepted: 2 October 2015
# Instituto Superior de Psicologia Aplicada, Lisboa, Portugal
and Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht
P
2015
ublished online: 15 October 2015
/
http://crossmark.crossref.org/dialog/?doi=10.1007/s10212-015-

0271-8&domain=pdf
Introduction
The prevalence of bullying victimisation among Irish students
in second-level education is
high. Earlier studies of Irish adolescents reveal that in the
1990s, almost 15.6 % of 12–18-year-
old students reported having been bullied at some point
(O’Moore et al. 1998). By the mid-
2000s, the number of 12–16-year-old students in second level
who reported being bullied in
the previous 3 months was 36.5 % (Minton 2010). However, it
is difficult to estimate if the
prevalence of bullying is rising, given that studies use
contrasting measurements of prevalence
and frequency, and the ways in which adolescents are bullied
are changing with the involve-
ment of new media (Rigby and Smith 2011). Internationally, it
is also challenging to compare
prevalence rates of bullying; reports of bullying vary from 13 to
75 % across studies and
methodology is a key factor contributing to these discrepancies
(Jimerson et al. 2010).

Researcher definitions of bullying
The single largest methodological issue affecting the
comparability and consistency of bully-
ing research findings is the lack of a standard definition of
bullying among researchers. A 2014
report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
conjunction with the US
Department of Education claimed that without a uniform
research definition of bullying, our
ability to understand the true magnitude, scope, and impact of
bullying is severely impeded
(Gladden et al. 2014).
Accordingly, they consulted with bullying experts and
practitioners and developed a
uniform research definition of bullying for children and
adolescents: “Bullying is any unwant-
ed aggressive behavior(s) by another youth or group of youths
who are not siblings or current
dating partners that involves an observed or perceived power
imbalance and is repeated
multiple times or is highly likely to be repeated. Bullying may
inflict harm or distress on the

targeted youth including physical, psychological, social, or
educational harm” [(Gladden et al.
2014), p. 7].
While researchers had not previously reached a unanimous
agreement on a definition of
bullying, many bullying researchers generally agreed that to
differentiate bullying from other
forms of aggressive behaviour, bullying must meet three
criteria: intention to cause harm, a
power imbalance in favour of the bully, and repetition of
bullying over time (Farrington 1993;
Olweus 1999). These elements are reflected in the Gladden et
al. (2014) definition.
Adolescent definitions of bullying
Although there may be general agreement among researchers
about what constitutes bullying,
this definition is not representative of adolescent
conceptualisations of bullying (Cuadrado-
Gordillo 2012; Frisén et al. 2008; Guerin and Hennessy 2002;
Madsen 1996; Naylor et al.
2006; Vaillancourt et al. 2008). While elements of the “research
definition” are evident in

adolescent definitions in some studies, it is generally accepted
by a minority of students. For
example, Vaillancourt et al. (2008) found that children and
adolescents rarely include refer-
ences to intentionality (1.7 %), repetition (6 %), or power
imbalance (26 %) in their sponta-
neous definitions of bullying. Similarly, Naylor et al. (2006)
reported that 11–14-year-olds
seldom include these criteria when asked to define bullying (3.9
% for intentionality, 7.9 % for
repetition, 40.5 % for power imbalance). Likewise, in a sample
of Swedish 13-year-olds,
Frisén et al. (2008) found that repetition (30 %) and power
imbalance (19 %) did not appear in
H. Byrne et al.404
the majority of definitions. Qualitative work with 10–13-year-
olds shows a similar disjoint
between researcher and young persons’ bullying
conceptualisations (Guerin and Hennessy
2002). However, Cheng et al. (2011) note that Taiwanese
adolescents frequently report

examples reflecting intentionality and power imbalance (but not
repetition) when asked to
define bullying. The authors concluded that Asian adolescents
may differ in their conceptu-
alisation of bullying compared to their Western counterparts
due to culture and collectivism.
In brief, it is evident that research on bullying typically uses a
definition provided by
researchers, which is not always congruent with the definition
provided by young people. The
above examples demonstrate that young people in Western
cultures may not view intention-
ality, repetition, or power imbalances as central to their
classification of bullying, despite these
aspects being integral to researcher-generated definitions. This
discrepancy is important as
adolescents are less likely to report an instance of bullying
when they are provided with a
researcher’s definition compared to when they engineer the
definition themselves (Madsen
1996; Vaillancourt et al. 2008). In addition, adolescent
descriptions of bullying differ from
adult and teacher descriptions (which tend to be more in line
with researchers’ definitions), and

this is a concern for how adults respond to adolescent bullying
(Menesini et al. 2002; Mishna
et al. 2005; Naylor et al. 2006). A person’s definition of
bullying can shape how they respond
to bullying in everyday life (Madsen 1996), and therefore
examining adolescent definitions is
paramount to guiding intervention design.
Age, gender, and experience of bullying
Monks and Smith (2006) found clear age-related differences in
children’s and adolescents’
(14-year-olds’) understanding of bullying and suggest cognitive
development as a possible
driver of the change in definition, given that more advanced
cognitive processes allow
adolescents to conceptualise bullying along a number of
dimensions. However, almost every
study that has considered adolescent definitions of bullying has
not included adolescents over
the age of 13 or 14 (Frisén et al. 2008; Guerin and Hennessy
2002; Naylor et al. 2006;
Menesini et al. 2002; Monks and Smith 2006; Smith et al. 2002)
which leaves a significant gap
in the literature regarding how older adolescents conceptualise

bullying. It also hinders our
developmental understanding of how conceptualisations of
bullying may change from early
adolescence to late adolescence.
The evidence for gender differences in conceptualisations of
bullying is equivocal. Some
research suggests that females are more likely to emphasise the
effects upon the victim (Frisén
et al. 2008). However, Smith et al. (2002) found few gender
differences among definitions of
bullying, despite there being a difference in the bullying
behaviours exhibited by males and
females. In addition, Guerin and Hennessy (2002) reported no
gender differences in the
definitions of bullying provided by their sample of Irish 10- to
13-year-olds.
Adolescents’ definitions of bullying also change as they observe
or experience bullying in
school (Monks and Smith 2006; Monks et al. 2003). However,
few studies have directly
addressed whether there is a difference in the self-generated
definitions provided by non-
bullied versus bullied adolescents (Naylor et al. 2001), and this

requires further attention.
The present study
The aim of this study was to examine the themes that emerge
from adolescents’ self-generated
definitions of bullying. Given that previous research indicates
that definitions of bullying may
Bullying definitions: contribution of age, gender, and
experience 405
differ due to previous which leaves a significant, age, or gender
(Monks and Smith 2006;
Frisén et al. 2008), this study will consider how the definitions
provided by adolescents differ
along these dimensions. As previous literature has already
shown that adolescents’ definitions
do not frequently contain key elements of research definitions
of bullying (Cuadrado-Gordillo
2012; Frisén et al. 2008; Guerin and Hennessy 2002; Naylor et
al. 2006; Vaillancourt et al.
2008), this study will not attempt to examine themes of

repetition, intentionality, or power
imbalance. Rather, this study seeks to identify explicit patterns
within the data, and themes will
be identified if they capture an important element of young
people’s definitions of bullying
(Braun and Clarke 2006). This study uses an inductive approach
to look at previously
researched definitions of bullying from a different perspective.
In addition, some
previous studies investigating adolescent definitions of bullying
have provided ado-
lescents with a list of agree/disagree statements regarding what
bullying is (Cuadrado-
Gordillo 2012) or asked participants to watch a cartoon scenario
and rate whether it
constituted an episode of bullying or not (Monks and Smith
2006). To avoid the
possible demand characteristics associated with prompted
responses, this study will
employ a free-response method in line with the methodology of
Vaillancourt et al.
(2008) and Naylor et al. (2006) to ascertain unprompted
definitions. This is the first
nationally representative study in a European country to
investigate adolescents’ self-

generated definitions of bullying across a wide age range (12–
19 years), unlike
previous studies that typically only include responses from
adolescents up to the
age of 13 or 14 (Frisén et al. 2008; Guerin and Hennessy 2002;
Naylor et al.
2006; Menesini et al. 2002; Monks and Smith 2006; Smith et al.
2002). This will
allow for the examination of age-related differences in
conceptualisations of bullying.
Method
Procedure
This study used previously collected, cross-sectional data from
the My World Survey-Second
Level (MWS-SL; Dooley and Fitzgerald 2012). A multi-stage,
random sampling strategy was
used to ensure the sample was representative of second-level
students in Ireland. At least one
second-level school in every county took part. Male only,
female only, and mixed-gender
schools were included in the sample. The sample reflected the
national distribution of non-

disadvantaged and designated disadvantaged schools. A total of
171 schools were included in
the sampling frame, 72 of which agreed to take part (42 %). Of
the students within these
schools, on average, 45 % of students agreed to take part.
Response rates of students in
different schools varied between 8 and 89 %. Full ethical
approval was granted for the study by
the authors’ institution. Parent and student written consent was
obtained for each participant.
Participants
The second-level sample comprised 6085 students, 4358 of
whom provided a self-generated
definition of bullying. Of the sample, 54 % were female. The
age range of the sample was 12–
19 years old (M=14.99, SD=1.63). The age of the students was
balanced across gender. Of the
sample, 43 % were in the 12–14-year-old age range, with the
remainder aged between 15 and
19 years old.
H. Byrne et al.406

Within the Irish school system, students typically complete five
to six school years.
The Junior Cycle (JC) consists of first, second, and third year.
The Senior Cycle (SC)
consists of fourth, fifth, and sixth year. Fourth year, or
“transition year”, is not
mandatory in all schools. During this year, students undertake a
programme of
vocational and social development (Jeffers 2011). Kenny et al.
(2013) stated that as
the age range of students within the Senior Cycle can vary
considerably, due to the
impact of some students electing to complete the transition
year, grouping students
according to academic cycle may be more appropriate than
classifying according to
biological age. Therefore, in the present study, school cycle was
used as a proxy for
age.
Measures
The MWS-SL is a self-report instrument assessing risk and

protective factors associated with
adolescents’ psychological functioning (see Dooley and
Fitzgerald 2013). The survey was
deemed to be reliable and valid following a pilot study in a
sample of Irish adolescents (Tobin
2009). The present study utilised the measure of bullying from
the survey.
Adolescent definitions of and experience of bullying
Participants were asked to
complete the sentence “bullying can be described as” in order to
identify how
adolescents’ defined bullying. Using this definition, adolescents
were asked if they
had been bullied. This is in contrast to widely used bullying
scales, for example, the
Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire, which provides
participants with a definition of
bullying (Olweus 1996).
Analysis plan
A content-analysis methodology was considered to be suitable
for use with this data,
given that it allows for an inductive examination of the

emergence of themes from the
definitions which adolescents’ provided (Guerin and Hennessy
2002). Themes which
emerge from this process can then be deductively applied across
the dataset. Stage one
of Guerin and Hennessy’s (2002) method specifies that key
areas of interest in the data
are identified. Namey, Guest, Thiaru, and Johnson (2008)
propose that with very large
qualitative data sets, such as the one used in this study,
frequency analysis of words can
be used to identify key areas of interest within the data, e.g.
through using data
management tools such as NVivo (QSR International 2012).
While data management
packages can aid qualitative data analysis through providing a
transparent view of the
content of the data, they cannot replace the ability of the
researcher to notice patterns
and trends within the data (Hilal and Alabri 2013); thus, a
combination of computer-
aided data management and analysis by hand was used in the
present study (Welsh
2002). The second stage of Guerin and Hennessy’s (2002)
method involves inductively

investigating the key responses to each area of interest
identified in stage one. The third
stage involves grouping these responses into thematic patterns
and subthemes. These
themes and subthemes are then organised in a coding frame, and
the coding frame is
then used to review the data again, in order to deduct where a
particular theme is
located within the data.
experience 407
Results
Data preparation
The units of analysis in the present study were definitions of
bullying provided by 4358
second-level students. The total number of words in these
definitions was 52,808. In order to
prepare these data for analysis, the definitions were spell-
checked. This was done to ensure

each unit of data could be accurately detected by NVivo (QSR
International 2012). As the
definitions provided were self-generated, the researchers did not
exclude any of the definitions
provided from the body of data to be analysed. The data were
initially split into two groups,
consisting of all the responses generated by Junior Cycle (JC)
and Senior Cycle (SC)
participants. Within these two groups, the data were further
delineated into responses by males
(M) and females (F) and responses by bullied (B) non-bullied
(NB) males and bullied and non-
bullied females (see Fig. 1). As the dataset was large, pertinent
definitions were chosen on the
basis of containing a word to describe bullying, which was
frequently used in the dataset
(Namey et al. 2008).
Fig. 1 Representation of groups which participants were
streamed into and most frequent word(s) within these
groups. JC Junior Cycle, JCM Junior Cycle males, JCF Junior
Cycle females, JCB Junior Cycle bullied, JCNB
Junior Cycle not bullied, SC Senior Cycle, SCM Senior Cycle
males, SCF Senior Cycle females, SCB Senior
Cycle bullied, SCNB Senior Cycle not bullied

H. Byrne et al.408
Data analysis
Data analysis of the JC and SC groups consisted of two phases:
the identification of the word
most frequently used to describe bullying and a content analysis
of the definitions in which the
frequent words were used. To examine the frequently occurring
terms used in students’
definitions to describe bullying, a word frequency query was
conducted using NVivo (QSR
International 2012). Any words consisting of less than two
characters, and stop words
(conjunctions, prepositions), were excluded from the frequency
counts in order to ensure that
only meaningful words were included. The process was repeated
for definitions provided by
males, females, those who had been bullied, and those who had
not been bullied, across both
JC and SC groups. Identifying the most frequent word used in
each of these groups allowed for

the identification of key areas of interest, as per stage one of
Guerin and Hennessy’s (2002)
content analysis methodology. This content analysis
methodology was then used to examine
the definitions which contained the most frequently used word
for each group. This stage of
the analysis was conducted by hand. Responses containing the
most frequently used word
were reviewed through reading and re-reading the definitions
provided. The responses of
interest were grouped into mutually exclusive thematic
categories, themes, and subthemes. A
coding frame was then developed and the data were reviewed
using this frame.
Inter-rater reliability
In order to maintain rigour and increase confidence within
qualitative research, it is suggested
that inter-rater reliability checks should be employed (Barbour
2007; Elliott et al. 1999).
Therefore, an independent inter-rater was asked to indicate their
agreement with the applica-
tion of a particular code. Percentage agreement was 92 %. A
kappa statistic (which takes into

account that two raters may disagree or agree by chance; Viera
and Garrett 2005) was also
calculated. The Kappa statistic for the thematic categories
ranged between 0.79 and 0.82.
Values in excess of 0.75 are considered acceptable, which
suggests that in the present study, a
good level of inter-rater agreement was observed (Cicchetti
1994).
Key thematic categories
The definitions provided by JC and SC students, males (M) and
females (F), those who had
been bullied (B), and those who had not (NB), were compared.
The results of the analyses of
frequent words within these definitions highlighted that JC
students most frequently used the
word mean (cruel) to describe bullying. This was observed for
JCM and JCF. However,
victims of bullying (JCB) differed in terms of how they
described bullying compared to those
who were not bullied (JCNB). The most frequent word among
students in the JC who had
been bullied was feel, and the definitions using this word
discussed the feelings which being

bullied engendered within them, while those who had not been
bullied most frequently
described how bullying was mean, which was in line with the
broader trend among JC
students.
As with JC students who had been bullied, SC students most
frequently referred to the
feelings which bullying could bring about in the victim. This
pattern was seen for SCF and
those who had been bullied within the Senior Cycle (SCB).
SCM were more likely to discuss
types of bullying, as were those who had not been bullied
among the Senior Cycle (SCNB).
The most frequent word used in terms of types of bullying by
SCNB and SCM was physical,
experience 409
and definitions containing this word usually named a number of
other types of bullying
behaviour.

In analysing the patterns in the above data, the results were
organised into three broad
thematic categories: “bullying is mean”, “bullying affects
feelings”, and “types of bullying”
(see Table 1).
Thematic category one: bullying is mean
Among JC students, the most frequently used word to describe
bullying was “mean”. Over a
quarter of the definitions provided by JC students (26 %) and
JCNB (32 %) made reference to
the concept of the mean nature of bullying. Within this thematic
category, three themes
emerged from the data: “reasons for mean behaviour”, “certain
people are at risk of being a
victim of mean behaviour”, and “there are certain types of mean
behaviour”. These themes
were further broken down into subthemes which are listed
alongside illustrative quotes in
Table 2.
In terms of the first theme, “reasons for mean behaviour”, some
JC students

highlighted that there was no reasonable explanation for mean
behaviour. Others
emphasised that bullying may on occasion be carried out on
purpose to provide a
source of humour to the bully, because the bully may be
“unsatisfied with life”
(JCM) in some way or in order that the bully may “feel good
about themselves”
(JCM).
A second theme which was identified in definitions containing
the word mean was
that certain individuals were at risk of being treated in a mean
way. JC students
highlighted that individuals who may differ from expected in
terms of their behaviour,
appearance, or ability may be at risk of experiencing mean
behaviour towards them.
For example, one JCF participant stated that mean behaviour
was carried out towards
others because “they look or sound different, or because they
don’t like the way that
person acts”. Additionally, being of a different race, or being
academically able, was
also highlighted as a characteristic that participants highlighted

as potentially putting
individuals at risk of victimisation.
A third theme to be identified among definitions containing the
word mean was that there
were certain types of mean behaviour. Physical bullying
(hitting, kicking, and punching) was
described as mean behaviour, while “sending mean texts” (JCM)
and “saying mean things”
(JCNV) were frequently mentioned. Others cited “ignoring”
(JCF) and isolating others as the
types of mean acts which bullies might carry out.
Table 1 Thematic categories and the groups which these themes
emerged in
Theme category one:
bullying is mean
Theme category two:
bullying affects feelings
Theme category three:
types of bullying

Group JC SC SCM
JCNB SCF SCNB
JCB and SCB
JC Junior Cycle, JCB Junior Cycle bullied, JCNB Junior Cycle
not bullied, SC Senior Cycle, SCM Senior Cycle
males, SCF Senior Cycle females, SCB Senior Cycle bullied,
SCNB Senior Cycle not bullied
H. Byrne et al.410
Thematic category two: bullying affects feelings
SC students, SCF students, and those who had previously
experienced bullying (both JC and
SC) referred to the word “feel”, and its derivative “feeling”,
when asked to share what they
thought about bullying (see Table 3). Specifically, feelings were
referenced in 43 % of SC
students’ definitions, 34 % of SCF students’ definitions, and 56
% of the definitions provided

by victims of bullying. Two broad themes were isolated:
“victims of bullying feel negative
emotions” and “bullies feel positive and negative emotions”.
These broad themes were further
delineated into subthemes which are presented in Table 3
alongside illustrative quotes.
The first theme in this category comprised of the range of
negative feelings that were
described; participants cited that being bullied could make
someone “feel worthless”.
Participants also described how bullying could make victims
feel “sad”. In some cases, this
sadness could be felt regardless of whether the bullying was of
a verbal, relational, or physical
nature as they could “all hurt you in the same way” (SCF).
Many participants also referred to
the feelings of upset which bullying victimisation could create.
According to some partici-
pants, this feeling of upset could arise when a bully victim’s
sense of self was disrupted. For
example, one female participant stated that bullying could make
you “feel upset about you as a
person” (SCF). Furthermore, SC students also stated that bully
victims could feel anger not

only at themselves but also at the bully. Participants also
referred to feelings of isolation and
how the nature of bullying could make an individual feel “like
they don’t belong or fit in”
(SCF) or “not accepted” (SCBV).
A second theme which was identified centred on how SC
students also used the word feel
in the context of the feelings the bully may have. Frequently,
participants described how
bullying may make the bully feel “good about themselves by
feeling higher than someone
else” (SCF). According to participants, bullies may also carry
out bullying behaviour as they
Table 2 Themes and subthemes for thematic category one:
bullying is mean
Theme Subtheme Illustrative quotes: Junior Cycle students
Reasons for mean
behaviour
-There are no good reasons to
behave in a mean way

towards another.
-The bully may behave in a
mean way in order to
entertain themselves.
-The bully may feel insecure.
“Being mean to somebody for no good reason!”
“Mean, hurtful, unfair, uncalled for, a
person with mental problems”
Certain people are at risk of
being a victim of mean
behaviour
-Race
-Gender
-Academic performance
“Picking on someone or being mean to
them for religious, race, education,
physical and health reasons”

“When one person picks on another person
because they are different or the bully
may be jealous of them. So they will be
mean to them and turn people away from them.”
There are types of
mean behaviour
-Verbal
-Physical
-Psychological (e.g. through
isolation)
“When people hit you or say mean things to
you or spreading rumours, threatening
someone, picking on them”
“Vicious, mean, cruel emotional torture.”
“Being mean to other people, treating
them unfairly and disrespecting them.”
experience 411

54 Parents Worried About Cyber Bullying ofKids Norton Re.docx

54 Parents Worried About Cyber Bullying ofKids Norton Re.docx

Recommended

Recommended

More Related Content

Similar to 54 Parents Worried About Cyber Bullying ofKids Norton Re.docx

Similar to 54 Parents Worried About Cyber Bullying ofKids Norton Re.docx (20)

More from BHANU281672

More from BHANU281672 (20)

Recently uploaded

Recently uploaded (20)

54 Parents Worried About Cyber Bullying ofKids Norton Re.docx