| A generic qualitative study was conducted to explore the academic success of former bullies who have bullied others in middle, or high school. Research had demonstrated that bullying impacted both those who bully and those who are bullied. Participants included ten post-secondary students from a university and trade school in a southeastern state in the United States (U.S.). All participants were African American. Associations between bullying and academic success were examined using thematic analysis to identify, analyze, and report patterns within the data. Generic qualitative methodology allowed the researcher to focus on the perspective of the former bully, who was also academically successful in post-secondary education. Eight themes emerged from the structured and unstructured interviews. The main themes were that the former bullies were, (a) influenced by authority figures who were involved in their lives, (b) the effects of the involvement in extracurricular activities, (c) the effect of social isolation versus inclusion, (d) the negative consequences of bullying, (e) the effect of peer pressure on the participants' behavior, (f) the impact of a change of environments, (g) maturity and concern for the future, and (h) reliance on God or faith. A limitation of the study was the use of qualitative methodology. The use of mixed methodology may have yielded additional information. Another limitation was the fact that all participants were African American, although not an inclusion factor. A more diverse sample may have yielded more information in terms of how bullying impacted other races, and how bullying impacted other students. Additionally, a limitation was the size of the sample taken; a larger sample size might have yielded additional information not drawn from the present study. |
