Multidisciplinary approaches to research on bullying in adolescence
Date
2017
DOI
Authors
Holt, Melissa K.
Green, Jennifer G.
Tsay-Vogel, Mina
Davidson, Joanna
Brown, Claire
Version
OA Version
Citation
MK Holt, JG Green, M Tsay-Vogel, J Davidson, C Brown. 2017. "Multidisciplinary approaches to research on bullying in adolescence." Adolescent Research Review, Volume 2, Issue 1, pp. 1 - 10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40894-016-0041-0
Abstract
Bullying is a significant public health problem in the United States that affects youth functioning in multiple domains. Much of the research on bullying to date has focused on children, however, leaving gaps in the literature with respect to understanding bullying among adolescents. In particular, less is known about how adolescents conceptualize bullying, what predicts and is associated with bullying involvement among adolescents, and how prevention programs might address the unique needs of middle and high school students. This special issue proposes that a multidisciplinary perspective might be particularly useful in better understanding bullying among adolescents and determining how to design more effective interventions and prevention programs for this age-group. The current article introduces the special issue by briefly discussing what is known about bullying in adolescence and considering three disciplines (computer science, big data, and virtual communities; media studies; anthropology) that are particularly well situated to move the field forward. Next, this article reviews teen pregnancy prevention efforts, as an example of another adolescent public health concern that has been addressed successfully using a multidisciplinary approach. The article concludes with an overview of the three manuscripts that are part of the special issue.