Study: Bullying victims often blamed

NEW YORK, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- Researchers in Sweden say 42 percent of the teens asked about bullying blame the victim, not the perpetrator.

The study, conducted by two researchers from the Linkoping University, also said individual characteristics, rather than the wider social environment, explain why bullying occurs. The study was published in the online Springer journal "Child and Youth Care Forum."

Researchers Robert Thronberg and Sven Knutsen said 69 percent of the teenagers participating in their study blamed the bully, and that more girls than boys blamed the bully rather than the victim.

The survey said 21 percent of its respondents attributed the cause of bullying to a peer group, with seven percent blaming the school setting, and even less blame human nature or society in general.

"Teenagers explain bullying significantly more in individualistic terms, that is, the bully or victim is to blame, than in non-individualistic terms where peers, school or society are to blame," the researchers said.

"These findings have important implications for prevention and intervention efforts designed to reduce bullying among children and adolescents. Bullying prevention efforts should investigate and target teenagers' conceptions of the causes of bullying."

One hundred seventy-six 15-and 16-year-old high school students participated in the study, and filled out questionnaires asking them about their own school bullying experiences.