Italian elementary and middle school students' blaming the victim of bullying and perception of school moral atmosphere

Tendency to blame the victim of bullying in 9- and 12-year-old Italian students (N = 246, 124 boys and 122 girls) was examined by manipulating gender of the victim and type of bullying (direct [physical] vs. indirect [relational]). Children were randomly assigned to 1 of 4 scenarios describing a bullying episode and rated on 5 questions about how much they liked the victim and how much they held the victim responsible for what had happened. We collected data using 2 additional measures: a 12-item self-report scale about bullying and victimization and a school moral atmosphere questionnaire. Overall, boys blamed the victim more than girls, and victim blame was higher for direct rather than indirect bullying. Victim liking was predicted by a positive sense of community, whereas victim blame was predicted by the perception of a negative relational atmosphere within the school. Results are discussed in terms of theoretical and educational implications for researchers and practitioners.