‘Man up!’ bullying and resilience within a neoliberal framework

Abstract

This study investigates perceptions in relation to bullying, with a particular focus on discussions around resilience, drawing on data from focus group interviews with young people (mean age 14 years old), parents and teachers (N = 40). We view self-conduct and the governance of human behaviour as situated within a neoliberal framework, locating accountability and responsibility within the individual. Our methodological framework consists of a multi-level 'synthesised' discourse analysis. Firstly, drawing on discursive psychology, we focus on the interactive accomplishments of talk, such as managing facts, blame and accountability. The second level of discourse analysis focuses on the wider discourses that participants draw on to make sense of themselves, including common sense discourses and ideologies. In their narratives, the participants construct resilience in relation to bullying in terms of individual empowerment, responsibility and 'manning up'; a skill that can be taught and acquired. Not only that, long-term implications of bullying are negated in favour of a neoliberal approach towards self-responsibility in the here and now. This has implications for strategies in relation to bullying and supporting young people in building resilience. More research is needed to establish key notions in relation to resilience, and the multidimensionality of protective factors in relation to bullying. ARTICLE HISTORY

‘A troublesome girl is pushed through’: Morality, biological determinism, resistance, resilience, and the Canadian child migration schemes, 1883–1939

“…This also fits with Smiles' (1859; 1871) references in his books Self-Help and Character to self-control and character, both terms that are used in current research around resilience in children (e.g. Luthar, Cicchetti, and Becker, 2000;Sims-Schouten and Edwards, 2016). For example, correspondence from 1894 from the Waifs and Strays Society in relation to the possible emigration of a boy, aged 14 years old, to Canada stated, 'His conduct is very good' and 'He has sound intellect'.…”

“…Discussions of resilience, self-help, and character are typically framed with reference to risk, vulnerability, and protective factors (Smiles, 1871; Ungar, 2005; Werner and Smith, 1982). Yet in narratives and perceptions around ‘troubled children’, as can be seen from the analysis above, it was their behaviour that was being judged, and their capacity to develop resilience or resistance within this was not recognised (Moss et al , 2017; Moss, Wildman, and Lamont, 2020; Sims-Schouten and Riley, 2018; Sims-Schouten, Skinner, and Rivett, 2019).…”

“…In both books, Smiles referred to and championed the influence of character, courage, self-control, home power, and temper, all terms that are used in current research around resilience in children (e.g. Luthar, Cicchetti, and Becker, 2000;Sims-Schouten and Edwards, 2016). While some children and young people who were included in the child migration schemes on the surface appeared to adjust and showed 'strength of character' in light of the challenges faced, other children expressed resistance towards emigration by running away and being hard to manage (Moss et al, 2017).…”

“…Critical realism can thus form the basis for research with a focus on making sense of child protection practices, taking account of the fact that these practices and related perceptions are both socially constructed and influenced by external factors and forces that can be real and independent of any one person or social group (Sayer, 2000; Sims-Schouten, Skinner, and Rivett, 2019). Historical investigations can explain some of the mechanisms at play at the field level, influencing particular (uneven) outcomes and practices, such as the legacy of the punitive ‘deserving/undeserving’ paradigm inherited from the New Poor Law of 1834 (Mutch, 2014; Sims-Schouten, 2020; Sims-Schouten and Riley, 2018). The New Poor Law was implemented to reduce spending on the poor by centralising the notion of eligibility, the idea that some people (e.g.…”

Sibling Violence

“…Only five state policies "contain explicit language related to providing student support to both victims and bullies" (Stuart-Cassel et al, 2011, p. 39). In contrast, the Children's Act, which was enacted in the United Kingdom in 1989 (legislation.gov.uk, n.d.), considers bullying as a child protection concern and allows schools access to a range of services to address the problem (Sims-Schouten & Edwards, 2016).…”