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The Long-Term Effects of Coping Strategy Use in Victims of Bullying

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 April 2014

Simon C. Hunter ,
Joaquin Mora-Merchan  and
Rosario Ortega
Simon C. Hunter
Affiliation:
Strathclyde University
Joaquin Mora-Merchan
Affiliation:
University of Seville
Rosario Ortega*
Affiliation:
University of Cordoba
*
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Rosario Ortega, Departamento de Educación., Universidad de Córdoba. Av. San Alberto Magno, s/n. Campus Menéndez Pidal. 14004 Córdoba. E-mail: ortegaruiz@uco.es
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Abstract

The ways in which children appraise and cope with school bullying are likely to influence the long-term outcomes experienced. To examine this possibility, 219 Spanish undergraduate students (73 male, 146 female) aged between 18 and 40, completed an adapted version of the Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire (RBQ; Schäfer et al., 2004) and a distress scale (Rivers, 1999). Results indicated that neither coping strategies reported by victims of bullying nor the match between control appraisal and coping strategy influenced levels of distress experienced as adults. Control, threat and challenge appraisals did, however, influence long-term distress. Explanations for these effects are discussed, and include the possibility that appraisals may directly influence levels of distress and the quality of emotions experienced by victims during the actual bullying episode. Active strategies were perceived by students to be effective in dealing with bullying, whereas those centered on avoiding the conflict, or which involved aggression, were considered ineffective.

La forma en que los niños afrontan y resuelven los problemas de malos tratos entre compañeros/as escolares influyen posiblemente en los efectos que éstos experimentan, a largo plazo. Para examinar esta posibilidad, hemos estudiado un grupo de 219 estudiantes universitarios españoles (73 chicos y 146 chicas) con edades comprendidas entre 18 y 40 años, mediante la aplicación de una versión adaptada del Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire (RBQ; Schäfer et al., 2004) y una escala de estrés (River, 1999). Los resultados indican que ni las estrategias de afrontamiento usadas espontáneamente por las víctimas, ni el control sobre ellas, ejercen influencia sobre el estrés experimentado en la edad adulta. Sin embargo, sí ejerce influencia sobre el estrés a largo plazo la valoración que el sujeto hace de la situación violenta, como un reto controlable o como una amenaza que no puede ser controlada. Se discuten posibles explicaciones, incluyendo la posibilidad de que tales valoraciones quizás ejerzan una influencia directa en el propio nivel de estrés, especialmente en el tono emocional experimentado por las víctimas durante los episodios de violencia. Las estrategias activas de afrontamiento son valoradas como efectivas por los estudiantes, mientras que las estrategias que niegan el conflicto o incluyen respuesta agresiva se consideraron poco eficaces.

Keywords

bullyingvictimizationlong-term consequencescopingappraisalmaltratovictimizaciónefectos a largo plazoafrontamientovaloración
Type
Articles
Information
The Spanish Journal of Psychology , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , May 2004 , pp. 3 - 12
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2004

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