Bullying behaviors among male and female prisoners: A study of adult and young offenders

This study describes behaviors generally recognised as bullying among male and female prisoners, with a subsidiary aim of comparing adult and young of fenders. The study also describes the different groups involved in bullying and provides a description of the ways in which victims react to their vic timization. It was predicted that gender and prison category differences wo uld be found across the different types of bullying, with females reporting more indirect forms than males, who would report more direct forms. It was also predicted that young offenders would report more bullying than adults . The sample consisted of 98 young offenders (21 female and 77 male) and 21 1 adult offenders (53 female and 158 male). Inmates were surveyed via a sel f-report behavior checklist (Direct and Indirect Prisoner behavior Checklis t: DIPC). More than half of the sample reported being bullied and more than half reported to have "bullied others" at least once in the past week. Mal es and young offenders were more likely to report bullying others than fema les and adults, respectively. Males were more likely than females to report bullying others both directly and indirectly. Four different groups of inm ates were identified: bullies, bully/victims, pure victims; and not involve d. These categories varied in different gender and prison status groups. Vi ctims reported reacting predominantly by crying, staying in their cell when they could be out, and trying to get moved. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.