The challenging process of disclosing bullying victimization: A grounded theory study from the victim’s point of view

Abstract

School children are usually encouraged to tell an adult whether they are being bullied. Despite this encouragement, a significant percentage of bullied students do not disclose victimization. Previous research has often failed to include this group of hidden victims, thereby limiting the available knowledge about victimization disclosure. This study aimed to investigate the process of disclosing bullying victimization from the victim's point of view. Interviews with Swedish youth who had been or currently were victims of bullying in school were carried out and analyzed with grounded theory methods using two-step coding.