Children's reactions to cooperative group work: a strategy for enhancing peer relationships among bullies, victims and bystanders

Abstract

This investigation increases our understanding of the interpersonal interactions that take place during co-operative group work (CGW) among children nominated by their peers as bullies, victims and bystanders. Using the Interpersonal Process Recall (IPR) method, children were given the opportunity to explore their own and others' feelings and actions during video replays of CGW at two time points over an eight-month period, and to share their emotional responses with other members of the group. The study indicated that CGW had an impact on the expression of some emotions. At Time 1, bystanders expressed more enjoyment of CGW than either bullies or victims; at Time 2, these differences had disappeared. However, the tendency of victims to deny their feelings in comparison to bullies and bystanders remained. The implications for educational practice are discussed.