The Blame Game or Sharing the Blame?: Hearing Stakeholders Talk about Each Other. A Critical Discourse Analysis on School Bullying

Abstract

Using critical discourse analysis (CDA), this research-based presentation examined similarities and variations in how four groups of stakeholders, namely, bus drivers and attendants, principals, school social workers, and parents perceive bullying in schools, and represent themselves in relation to others in bullying discourses. The findings of the study showed that all the stakeholders viewed bullying in sociological and psychological terms. The findings also revealed implicit biases in how the stakeholders viewed themselves, and perceived power differentials in how they related to each other. Potential remedies for identified challenges/problems were discussed.