Female bullying among adolescents in Italy: A national mixed-method research

Abstract

The subject of bullying has received widespread academic attention, going back to pioneering studies in the 1970s. However, work in this area has tended to take a gender-neutral/male perspective that does not distinguish between male and female bullying. While retaining a dialogue with generalist literature on the subject, this article seeks to highlight the theoretical and political-social relevance of gender-specific and intersectional approaches when exploring the question of bullying between adolescent girls. Based on the study Il bullismo femminile a scuola. Un’indagine intersezionale mixed-method (Female bullying at school, an intersectional, mixed-method study) – conducted in medium-sized and large cities in northern, central and southern Italy – it proposes a theoretical-analytical framework in which to consider the phenomenon of female bullying in Italian schools.

Keywords

• female bullying
• gender pedagogy
• gender scripts
• school victimization
• aggression between girls