As a researcher, I sometimes get asked for a bit more detail about studies I've published. The most recent came from a PhD student at King's College London, asking if I recalled the wording given to school participants in research a little over a decade ago looking at bullying experiences and mental health. She was specifically interested in knowing whether we'd provided a definition of "bullying" to our young participants before asking them if they had experienced peer victimisation.
Most people have experienced some form of peer victimisation. I was born in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), but moved to the UK when I was quite young and did all but one year of secondary school there. I remember being made fun of for being different, being nicknamed "Botha" after PW Botha, the sixth state president of South Africa. My schoolmates clearly didn't know the difference between Zimbabwe and South Africa. I also spent an acne-filled year or so being called "pizza face". But was I bullied?
This story is from the August 27 - September 2, 2022 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 27 - September 2, 2022 edition of New Zealand Listener.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Candid cameras in wartime
Clandestine photos have been unearthed and turned into a documentary showing Kiwi soldiers during World War II as they have never been seen before.
Return of the queen
Beth Orton brings the personal songs of her career-reviving album to NZ.
Fanny, the musical
How do you turn Jane Austen into opera and why pick Mansfield Park, her most demanding novel? Composer Jonathan Dove explains his approach to Richard Betts.
It's in the blood
Michael Bennett returns his Maori detective to her roots ina convincing, highly anticipated second novel.
Touchstones
Ahead of the Aotearoa Art Fair, Sally Blundell asks New Zealand artists about their favourite local artwork and why it moves them.
Room at the Top
The Opportunities Party could well be a force to be reckoned with as a centrist voice - it's just lacking a leader, a campaign and a lot of money.
Brought to book
He's rich, opinionated and believes in doing good for the community. Property developer Mark Todd is a study in contrasts.
'Why aren't you listening to me?!"
To really understand each other, our brains need to be in sync, says author Charles Duhigg. And, yes, there are ways to get on to the same wavelength.
The virus that came to stay
With current funding for our Covid response drawing to a close, there’s growing recognition that many people are suffering debilitating long-term effects. What’s the next move?
The chips are down
It's a forecast no Irish person with a sense of history expected ever to hear again: a severe potato shortage looms.
