“We Don’t Have Bullying, But We Have Drama”: Understandings of Bullying and Related Constructs Within the Social Milieu of a U.S. High School

The purpose of this study was to explore students’ and staff members’ understandings of bullying and related social constructs within a U.S. high school. Students (N = 84) participated in interviews and focus groups; students (N = 797) and staff members (N = 77) completed surveys. The qualitative data were analyzed using a grounded theory approach, and the findings were used to inform the development of survey items, which were analyzed using a one-way ANOVA. Findings from both components of the study were merged during interpretation. Results suggest that the school’s social environment reflects a complicated milieu in which it is difficult to apply a research definition of bullying to problematic student social interactions. A theoretical model of how conflict, drama, aggression, and bullying are related is proposed.