Learning Objective #1: Identify two common characteristics which can make certain adolescents more vulnerable to being bullied by peers

Learning Objective #2: Identify three important factors which should be assessed when working with adolescents who are being bullied

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Bullying is a destructive behavior which peaks in early adolescence and causes or contributes to a myriad of negative outcomes. There is a deficit of knowledge about what the experience of being bullied means to those who endure it. The question of this phenomenological study is: What is the experience of being bullied like for adolescent victims? The purpose of this study is to understand and describe the meaning 7th and 8th grade adolescents ascribe to the experience of being bullied. A phenomenological approach was used to gather information from three adolescent participants over the course of four informal interviews. Colaizzi's method of phenomenological interpretation was used to arrive at themes that represent what the experience of being bullied meant to these participants. Two main themes were isolated from the verbatim transcripts, (1) the importance of connection and (2) ways of dealing with it. The importance of connection was woven through the interviews of all three participants. Four sub-themes were identified, “family connection,” “peer connection,” “self connection,” and “school and learning connection.” All three participants spoke of finding ways to deal with the difficulties present in their lives. Three sub-themes were identified under this theme, “coping with bullies,” “escaping,” and “fighting back.” Suggestions, based upon the findings of this study, are proposed for nursing and other health care professionals for assessing and meeting the needs of adolescents who are being bullied.