From indirect aggression to invisible aggression: A conceptual view on bullying and peer group manipulation

By C. Garandeau, Antonius H. N. Cillessen. Journal of End-to-End-testing, 2006

231 citations recorded by the source corpus.

Abstract Recent research has emphasized the importance of indirect aggression among children and has challenged the conception that aggressive children lack social–cognitive skills. In schools, victimization against non-provocative targets rarely involves just a dyad, but might not be simply the product of group processes either. This paper suggests that in most cases it results from the encounter between a skillful bully and a group that lacks true cohesiveness, through a process of normative social influence. Groups with low quality of friendships may be more likely than others to become instruments of aggression as victimization provides them with a common goal and an appearance of cohesion. We hypothesize that, in some cases, the manipulation of a healthy-functioning group is also possible but requires use of particularly subtle devices, and thus a higher level of social intelligence by the bully. We also suggest that in such a situation the aggressive act is not just indirect, but invisible and the influence exerted on the group might be informational and not normative. Implications for the characteristics of the victim and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Subfields: Artificial Intelligence, Social Psychology, Sociology and Political Science

View Paper: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/a12acd8b05e82400d26911a237a989f061c8363d

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Citations in the corpus

Bully/Victim Problems Among Preschool Children: a Review of Current Research Evidence (2011, background): “Several studies have demonstrated that aggression is positively correlated with perceived popularity, but not necessarily with sociometric popularity (Garandeau and Cillessen 2006).”
Early Adolescents’ Participation in Bullying: Is ToM Involved? (2010, background): “At a theoretical level, it has been hypothesized that especially nonempathic (Sutton, 2003; Sutton et al., 1999b) or popular youngsters who are in a position to influence and manipulate others (Garandeau & Cillessen, 2006) might use their social-cognitive abilities for such antisocial purposes.”
Differential effects of the KiVa anti-bullying program on popular and unpopular bullies (2014, background): “As suggested by Garandeau and Cillessen (2006), indirect aggression also involves the skillful manipulation of the whole peer group and the capacity to exert influence on one's peers.”
What is bullying? A theoretical redefinition. (2014, background): “While it is possible that bullies simply fail to observe or respect the submissive signals of weaker individuals (Lorenz, 1966), bullies’ average or better social skills (Garandeau & Cillessen, 2006; Shakoor et al., 2012; Sutton et al., 1999) weakens that explanation.”
A review of research on bullying and peer victimization in school: An ecological system analysis☆ (2012, unknown): “A number of researchers (Barboza et al., 2009; Boulton, Trueman, Chau, Whitehand, & Amatya, 1999; Espelage et al., 2001; Garandeau & Cillessen, 2006; Haynie et al., 2001; Holt & Espelage, 2007; Mouttapa et al., 2004; O'Connell et al., 1999; Pellegrini & Long, 2002; Rigby, 2005; Rodkin & Hodges,…”
Social Context Influences on Children's Rejection by Their Peers (2010, unknown): “…group, which, as found in both social and developmental psychology literature, may lower peers’ need to reject those who deviate from group norms (Garandeau & Cillessen, 2006; Hogg, Fielding, & Darley, 2005) and reduce the likelihood that negative stereotypes about deviant children will be…”
The Role of Classroom Peer Ecology and Bystanders’ Responses in Bullying (2015, background): “Children who bully can have good social-cognitive skills and can be perceived as popular by peers (7).”
Bullying and the peer group: A review (2010, background): “Garandeau and Cillessen (2006) have argued that this way bullying is more efficient and less risky.”