Ritual insults among middle school students: causing harm or passing time?

A significant gap in the bullying literature includes the lack of scholarship surrounding ethnically diverse populations (Espelage & Horne, 2008). This multistudy investigation examined the Black oral tradition of roasting and its relation with bullying behavior. Study 1 included data collected through survey and focus group responses of middle school students. Thematic analysis revealed that students roast others for fun, for revenge, to protect and to defend themselves. Though roasting has benefits, it can also lower students’ self-esteem, hurt student’s feelings, and disrupt classroom learning. To avoid further victimization, some students conceal the negative psychosocial effects of roasting from their peers. Study 2 involved the development of an instrument to measure roasting attitudes, behaviors, and motivation, and also the relationship between roasting, depression, and student school sense of belonging. Items were written based on the student survey and semi-structured focus group responses of Study 1, and a review of the roasting literature. The purpose of these items was to examine the contemporary dynamics of roasting and assess its possible relation to bullying. Exploratory factor analysis yielded three factors: (a) Pro-Roasting (α = .88; students in this category hold a positive attitude towards roasting); (b) Uneasy (α = .81; students in this category are inclined to feel socially anxious around others who roast); and (c) Lowered Self-confidence (α = .86; roasting victimization produces a negative psychological affect for these students). The convergent and divergent validity of this instrument support the notion that there is a relationship between roasting and bullying. Therefore, this research adds to the multiculturally-sensitive literature on bullying and can influence the development of intervention programs.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Educational Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2013

Author dc:creator

• Rivers, Tyrone

Contributors dc:contributor

• Espelage, Dorothy L.

• Roasting
• Black ritual insults
• Bullying
• African American
• Middle school

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2012 Tyrone Rivers

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/42390

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/42390