Speaker
Description
Antibullying programmes that focus on dynamic social group practices and discourses, such as KiVa, have been relatively successful but are less effective during adolescence when peer relationships are crucial for identity, belonging and wellbeing. To explore this further, a ‘Critical Discursive Psychology’ (CDP) approach was embedded throughout development and delivery of an intervention and provided the theoretical and methodological context of the associated research. CDP focuses on applied topics and the synthesis of macro and micro level discourses in the process of meaning making and fits well the aims of antibullying programmes to address power relations, social exclusion and practices of affect such as shaming.
The dialogic intervention of 6 interactive sessions of one hour each was delivered to thirty eight 17-18 year old pupils and three members of teaching staff in one school. It was approved by The British Psychological Society for CPD and introduced participants to the function, performance, relationality, power and positioning in bullying talk. Text-based data was collected from group activities and CDP concepts were applied in the analysis as tools to reveal interpretative repertoires, subject positions and dilemmas.
Pupils talk revealed nuanced fascinations and concerns regarding bullying, and they developed discursive strategies and social practices to enhance empathy and dignity. Evidence of 1. bystander discursive defensive strategies such as denial and 2. a strong commitment to draw on dominant discourses of individual characteristics and personal experiences of perpetrators and targets as explanatory frameworks to understand bullying may help to explain limitations in intervention efficacy generally.
Keywords
Intervention, Critical Discursive Psychology
| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Scientific |
|---|---|
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Qualitative method study |
