Dramatising the hidden hurt: acting against covert bullying by adolescent girls

Abstract

This paper, delivered at the International Drama in Education Research Institute (IDIERI) conference in Sydney in July 2009, explores the outcomes of a project designed to apply the applied theatre techniques developed for the Acting Against Bullying programme to the specific problem of covert or hidden bullying by adolescent girls. Conducted in a large all girls' school, the research reveals some significant new information about the nature of covert bullying. It also provides confirmatory evidence of the efficacy of drama in enhancing identification, empathy and self-esteem in adolescent girls to enable them to deal more effectively with relational aggression. The project is on-going in 2010.