AN ECOLOGICAL-TRANSACTIONAL ANALYSIS OF SCHOOL BULLYING IN VIETNAM: RELATIONAL AGGRESSION, COUNTER-STEREOTYPICAL PERPETRATORS, AND THE INTERVENTION PERCEPTION GAP

Abstract

This study provides a multi-stakeholder analysis of school bullying in Vietnamese lower secondary schools, framed by an ecological-transactional model. A cross-sectional survey collected data from 834 participants—including student victims, perpetrators, bystanders, teachers, and parents—across three diverse provinces. The analysis employed descriptive statistics, comparative analyses, and multinomial logistic regression to identify prevalence rates, stakeholder profiles, and predictive risk factors. Results reveal the overwhelming dominance of relational aggression (e.g., slander, social exclusion) over physical forms. Counter-stereotypical perpetrator profiles emerged, with a majority demonstrating good academic performance and conduct, suggesting bullying may function as a strategic tool for social navigation. Ecological factors, particularly aggressive peer group norms and family conflict, were significant predictors of involvement. A critical “intervention perception gap” was identified: while bystanders perceived school interventions as highly effective, victims and parents expressed significant dissatisfaction and uncertainty, indicating a fundamental misalignment between school actions and stakeholder needs. The findings underscore the necessity of a whole-school approach that strengthens school-family collaboration, builds teacher capacity to manage relational aggression, and develops interventions that address the underlying power imbalances of bullying.