• Korean Journal of Social Welfare
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• v.51
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• pp.29-61
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• 2002

This study was designed to find out the determinants of types of bullying behavior, and the effects of types of bullying behavior on the bullies. For this purpose, a hypothetical model which explains the relationships among 6 environmental factors, 5 types of bullying behavior, and 5 outcome variables for the bullies was developed. Using the data collected from 177 junior and high school students who have bullied the other students, the hypothetical model was tested. For data analysis, a path analysis was used, and the best-fitting model was found (df=78, GFI=0.953, CFI=1.00). As a result of analyzing the model, types of bullying behavior were found to be determined by the different environmental factors: Isolation was determined by 2 factors (feeling of isolation from friends, exposure to bullying), social bullying by 2 factors (lack of support from parents, exposure to bullying), verbal bullying by conflicts with parents, physical bullying by 3 factors (lack of support from parents, exposure to isolation and exposure to bullying), and instrumental bullying by lack of support from parents. On the other hand, the pleasure that the bullies feel after bullying behavior was increased by isolation, verbal bullying and physical bullying, while decreased by instrumental bullying. Guilt feeling was decreased by isolation and instrumental bullying, while increased by physical bullying. Isolation increased the tendency of blaming the victim. Isolation and instrumental bullying increased bullies' self-esteem, while social bullying decreased self-esteem. Verbal bullying increased the extent of bullying, while instrumental bullying decreased the extent of bullying. Based on the findings, the intervention strategies to change the bullies' attitudes toward victim, and to increase social support from the significant others as well as the effective ways to reorganize the school environment in order to reduce and prevent bullying behavior were suggested.