Self and others in school bullying and cyberbullying : Fine-tuning a new arts-based method to study sensitive topics

Despite continuous international research and prevention efforts, bullying not only persists globally but also evolves into new forms, such as cyberbullying. In this methodological article, we present a new arts-based research tool, graphic vignettes, that can extend our understanding of peer aggression and other sensitive topics by facilitating participants’ creative reflection over the roles of self and others in different problem-based situations. Each graphic vignette, designed for this study, looks like an incomplete comic strip that participants individually develop further. Flexible and open to interpretation vignettes were used in combination with more restrictive/structured vignettes to facilitate methodological comparisons. During follow-up interviews, creatively completed graphic vignettes helped participants locate and articulate their perceptions and experiences of peer aggression. Being able to share personal experiences and feelings through the character’s perspective encouraged participants to open up more. Using creative works in interviews also helped the understanding between participants and researchers by allowing participants’ verbal and visual accounts to enhance each other. Moreover, our findings suggest that offering creative tasks to participants helped us reduce the effects of the social desirability bias—a prevalent problem in sensitive research. Overall, the article demonstrates how new graphic vignettes can be developed, adjusted, and effectively applied in an international setting.