ABSTRACT This study adopts a creative methodology to investigate how cartoons can serve as visual representations of primary school children’s understanding of bullying and compares how their understanding develops over time. The study was carried out in Northern Ireland where the Addressing Bullying in Schools (Northern Ireland) Act 2016 will require schools to follow a new statutory definition of bullying. To investigate the behaviours that children associate with bullying, a set of 16 original stick figure cartoons was devised. The cartoons were shown to a sample of Year 3 and Year 7 pupils from two different primary schools in Northern Ireland (N = 90). Pupils were asked to record which scenarios they considered to be bullying or not bullying. They were then invited to write their own definitions of bullying and to creatively illustrate them using stick figures. A total of eight gender-specific pupil focus groups were conducted across the two schools to explore the key elements which the pupils considered significant to their understanding of bullying. The study highlights the value of this creative participatory approach and found a wide range of behaviours which children associate with bullying but also considerable variation among pupils in terms of their understanding. Levels of understanding in Year 7 were more nuanced than those in Year 3, but there were no discernible differences by pupil gender. Conclusions are drawn in terms of the new legislation in Northern Ireland, but also in relation to the benefits of adopting a creative research methodology using cartoons as visual representations with children to explore complex pastoral issues.

中文翻译：

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动画片作为小学生对欺凌行为理解发展的视觉表现

摘要 本研究采用创造性的方法来研究卡通如何作为小学生对欺凌理解的视觉表现，并比较他们的理解如何随着时间的推移而发展。该研究在北爱尔兰进行，其中 2016 年解决学校欺凌（北爱尔兰）法案将要求学校遵循欺凌的新法定定义。为了调查儿童与欺凌相关的行为，设计了一套 16 部原创简笔画卡通。这些卡通片展示给了来自北爱尔兰两所不同小学（N = 90）的 3 年级和 7 年级学生样本。要求学生记录他们认为是欺凌或不欺凌的情景。然后，他们被邀请写下自己对欺凌的定义，并使用简笔画创造性地说明它们。两所学校总共进行了八个针对不同性别的学生焦点小组，以探讨学生认为对他们理解欺凌有重要意义的关键因素。该研究强调了这种创造性参与方法的价值，并发现了儿童与欺凌相关的广泛行为，但在理解方面，学生之间也存在相当大的差异。7 年级的理解水平比 3 年级的更微妙，但学生性别没有明显差异。根据北爱尔兰的新立法得出结论，