The Social Networks of Adolescent Victims of Domestic Violence and Bullying

Abstract

Domestic violence and bullying are public health problems with serious and lasting physical and emotional consequences. This study investigated the perception of the social and affective support network (characterized by the links between the family and school contexts) of adolescents victimized by domestic violence and involved in bullying. Fifteen student participants from a school in the south of Brazil answered to the Five Field Map. Participants were selected using a questionnaire on bullying and a question from the Questionário Juventude Brasileira [Brazilian Youth Questionnaire]. After analyzing the network’s structure and adolescents’ perceptions regarding significant people, results indicated a greater number of positive contacts in the Relatives, Family, and School fields. The most cited support figures were family, friends, and teacher. Adolescents indicated their perpetrators of domestic violence as positive contacts. Understanding significant relationships that predispose adolescents to involvement in bullying contributes to the implementation of appropriate interventions to prevent different expressions of violence.