Bullying is a complex social construct – researchers want to develop more effective ways to prevent it

Bullying leaves its mark on everyone involved – those who are bullied, those who bully, and those who stand by and watch. The phenomenon is a complex social construct in which individual experiences, peer groups, and developmental stages are intertwined. Therefore, preventing bullying requires more than just individual solutions: it requires an understanding of why bullying occurs and how young people feel about it.

The topic is no coincidence for the researchers. Both University Research Fellow Sarah T. Malamut and Senior Researcher Tiina Turunen from the University of Turku have ended up studying bullying through different paths, but for the same reason: a desire to understand a phenomenon that has long-lasting consequences on the lives of children and young people. They have a strong desire to have a practical impact on it as well.

Malamut’s interest in bullying stems from a desire to understand people and their relationships with each other.

“I have always been interested in why things happen and how people experience their feelings and interactions,” she explains.

For Turunen, societal impact has been a key motivator since the beginning.

“I have always wanted to be a researcher, but it is important for me that research has real-world impact as well. It is wonderful that my research can have such a direct impact on the well-being of children and young people, as well as on teachers’ work,” says Turunen.

The topic is important. Last year, both researchers received prestigious and highly competitive European Research Council funding for their research projects.

Why do some young people recover from bullying while others do not?

According to Malamut, there is no simple answer to the question of what the long-term effects of bullying are.

“Two young people may experience seemingly similar bullying victimisation, but one may cope with it easily while the other may suffer anxiety and low self-esteem even in adulthood.

Malamut’s interest in peer relationships among young people began during her bachelor’s studies and deepened during her master’s thesis and later doctoral dissertation. Malamut is particularly fascinated by the differences in young people’s experiences.

“I realised that, despite there being a lot of research on young people who have experienced bullying, we actually know very little about why some of them go on to suffer long-term problems and why these problems manifest differently in each individual.”

According to Malamut, previous research has long demonstrated that being bullied increases the likelihood of developing mental health conditions, such as depression and anxiety, sometimes lasting for decades. But why the effects are so different has received less attention.

One key explanation is rumination, the tendency to return to negative experiences and feelings again and again.

“If your mind gets stuck in a repetitive cycle, moving forward becomes difficult. The experience of being bullied does not remain in the past, but instead feels like it continues in your mind,” describes Malamut.

What is surprising is that the support of friends, which is typically considered a good thing, does not always protect against this. On the contrary.

“Many people think that talking to friends is always helpful. But if the conversation becomes a constant rumination on experiences and feelings, it can maintain the distress,” says Malamut.

This phenomenon is called co-rumination, which Malamut looks at from a new perspective. Rather than just measuring an individual’s overall tendency to ruminate, the survey looks at who ruminates with whom and in what kind of friendships.

“Peer relationships are not just a background factor, but an active part of how a young person deals with their experiences,” says Malamut.

 

This network-based approach focuses not only on the individual, but also on their friends and the quality of their relationships, as well as group dynamics.

“The same conversations can support one young person but burden another. This depends both on the young person’s own characteristics and on the type of interaction they have.

The study uses a wide range of data: longitudinal surveys, registers, diaries, and observations. This allows researchers to examine both the short-term effects of everyday life and the long-term consequences lasting into adulthood.

“Our aim is not just to understand why some people are feeling worse. We want to identify the mechanisms through which suffering can be prevented and find ways to support young people early, before the effects of bullying accumulate,” stresses Malamut.

Who are the young people who bully?

“People often talk about those who bully as if they were all the same. In reality, we are talking about a wide range of young people who have different reasons, motives, and life situations,” says Turunen.

During her studies, Turunen worked at a Research Council of Finland-funded Centre of Excellence, where she collected data on learning and also on bullying. Her dissertation focused on the links between reading difficulties and bullying, which sparked a desire to gain a better understanding of bullying perpetration.

“The fact that surprisingly little research had been conducted on the subject at the time was a great motivator for me.”

Working with the KiVa Program and training teachers gave a concrete connection between research and everyday life. As the years went by, Turunen’s attention turned more and more to those pupils who bully others.

“I noticed that a great deal is already known about the well-being of those who are bullied. However, pupils who bully are often studied as one group, despite the fact that the causes and consequences can be very different. We still know too little about these differences.”

Now Turunen has turned her attention to those young people who bully others. The aim is to deconstruct the simplistic notion of a ‘bully’ and understand the factors behind bullying behaviour, as well as why it persists for some people but not for others.

“Not all bullying is the same. Some young people use bullying to seek status in a peer group, others act impulsively or because they have difficulty interpreting social situations. Some end up bullying due to thoughtlessness or peer pressure, but they usually stop as soon as adults intervene or when they begin to understand the consequences of their actions,” says Turunen.

It is this diversity that lies at the heart of Turunen’s research. She looks at different profiles of those who bully and explores what motivations, social information processing patterns and individual background factors, including hereditary influences, are associated with their behaviour. According to Turunen, understanding these differences is the key to more effective intervention.

Another critical question is what bullying does to those who engage in bullying behaviour.

“Bullying is not just a passing phenomenon in the school playground. I want to understand how these behaviours will be reflected later in educational paths, working life, relationships, and well-being in adulthood,” says Turunen.

The research uses new methods to explore young people’s thinking and reactions in more detail. Mobile-based assessment tools will allow for measuring attitudes and motives in daily situations, while eye-tracking technology will help researchers to understand what attracts young people’s attention in social situations.

 

In addition to these new datasets, the study led by Turunen uses extensive longitudinal, registry and genetic data, in which the same individuals have been followed from childhood to adulthood.

“This kind of combination of data is internationally rare. It allows us to view bullying as a phenomenon that develops over time,” notes Turunen.

According to Turunen, the ultimate goal of her study is societal impact.

“If we treat everyone who engages in bullying behaviour the same way, the interventions will also be ineffective. By understanding why different young people end up bullying others, we can develop more specific and fairer ways to tackle bullying in schools.”

Preventing bullying requires more than one solution

Malamut and Turunen look at school bullying from opposite yet complementary sides: the perspective of the pupil who is bullied and the pupil who bullies.

“Our common goal is to build a more holistic picture of peer relationships and bullying: its effects, underlying mechanisms and long-term consequences,” the researchers say.

The new knowledge will serve not only researchers but also decision-makers, authorities, and professionals applying the knowledge in practice. The future aim is to develop more effective ways to prevent bullying and support the well-being of children and young people.

Although the research is still in its early stages, the direction is clear: there is no one-size-fits-all solution to preventing bullying. What is needed is understanding, targeted measures, and the courage to examine the phenomenon from various perspectives.

The article was publiched in the Aurora online magasine of the University of Turku 23.2.2026