Q Methodology as an Innovative Addition to Bullying Researchers’ Methodological Repertoire

The feld of bullying research deals with methodological issues and concerns afecting the comprehension of bullying andhow it should be defned. For the purpose of designing relevant and powerful bullying prevention strategies, this articleargues that instead of pursuing a universal defnition of what constitutes bullying, it may be of greater importance to investigate culturally and contextually bound understandings and defnitions of bullying. Inherent to that shift is the transition to amore qualitative research approach in the feld and a stronger focus on participants’ subjective views and voices. Challengesin qualitative methods are closely connected to individual barriers of hard-to-reach populations and the lack of a necessarywillingness to share on the one hand and the required ability to share subjective viewpoints on the other hand. By reviewingand discussing Q methodology, this paper contributes to bullying researchers’ methodological repertoire of less-intrusivemethodologies. Q methodology ofers an approach whereby cultural contexts and local defnitions of bullying can be putin the front. Furthermore, developmentally appropriate intervention and prevention programs might be created based onexploratory Q research and could later be validated through large-scale investigations. Generally, research results based onQ methodology are expected to be useful for educators and policymakers aiming to create a safe learning environment forall children. With regard to contemporary bullying researchers, Q methodology may open up novel possibilities through itsstatus as an innovative addition to more mainstream approaches.
Correction: https://doi.org/10.1007/s42380-022-00127-9