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Gender Differences in Bullying Reflects Societal Gender Inequality

Regarding the last lesson, I found a paper that looks at gender differences in bullying as a reflection of societal gender inequality (Cosma et al., 2022). As we already discussed in class, they also found that boys were more likely to perpetrate "traditional" bullying and cyberbullying, as well as to be victims of bullying. This could be explained by internalized gender roles, that legitimize aggressive behavior of boys as a form of conflict resolution tool.

 Surprisingly, gender differences varied significantly across countries. Greater societal gender inequality was associated with larger gender differences in bullying, with boys being more involved. Whereas, lower societal gender inequality was associated with larger gender differences in cyber victimization, with girls being more affected. I think this is an exciting finding. The authors explain this finding through social norms that amplify certain behaviors. What do you think could be a variable that describes this specific finding?

The findings of this study suggest that prevention programs should also address gender norms and structural inequality. In particular, this means that efforts to reduce bullying should also include a focus on promoting gender equality to decrease aggressive behaviors. Therefore, programs need to be context-specific and should take national gender norms and societal power imbalances into account.


Source: Cosma, A., Bjereld, Y., Elgar, F. J., Richardson, C., Bilz, L., Craig, W., ... & Walsh, S. D. (2022). Gender differences in bullying reflect societal gender inequality: A multilevel study with adolescents in 46 countries. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71(5), 601-608.

Sophia Allgeyer

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  1. MariaMarch 18, 2025 at 9:11 AM

    It's truly fascinating how gender roles shape our behavior and influence the way we perceive and respond to bullying situations or cyberbullying. This highlights the importance of tailoring intervention and prevention programs to the specific cultural and social norms of each country or region.

    As we can read here, there are significant differences in how gender-based harassment is experienced and addressed across different societies. By understanding these variations, we can develop more effective strategies to combat cyberbullying and promote a safer, more inclusive online environment.

    It was very interesting, thank you!

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