The rise of digital media in Nigerian public life is evident in a variety of contexts – from how mainstream journalists gather news and information, to how young people express their dissatisfaction with the government on matters of concern, such as the case of the 276 kidnapped Chibok Girls (April 2014). This thesis is an investigation into the growing use of digital media in Nigeria, and identifies significant developments in Nigerian democracy through a growing ‘digital public sphere’. New communication skills of dialogue and deliberation are being cultivated through an improvised and often creative use of digital media, and ‘netizens’ [citizens active on the Internet] are purposively generating social, political and cultural consciousness. To explore this embryonic digital public sphere in Nigeria, field research was conducted in the form of historical, political and interview based research with active digital media users. The interviewees featured journalists, citizen journalists, bloggers, public officials, social activists, religious leaders, and cultural producers, and revolved around current uses of digital media technologies, online dialogue and key issues, and digital media as a tool for democracy in Nigeria’s future development. Largely on the basis of the interview data, this thesis argues that despite a discernible ‘culture’ of democracy cultivated through pervasive use of digital media, a digital public sphere can only be realised in a democratic-enabling political environment. This would necessitate public officials engaging in public dialogue; protections from harassment, insults and cyber-bullying; and the digital media infrastructure being developed, accessible and affordable. Furthermore, this thesis identifies how an effective digital public sphere will only function where the agencies of mass media are willing to take more active roles in collaborating with citizens online in order to cultivate transparency in public affairs, and also disseminate vital information, and work for widespread digital access.

This thesis examines the influence of environmental factors on children’s risk of becoming involved in bullying, and in promoting resilience to bullying victimization. By integrating longitudinal, multivariate and genetically sensitive designs, this research helps to strengthen understanding of the causal role of different risk and protective factors for childhood bullying involvement. The three main aims of this thesis are to: 1) identify early socio-environmental risk factors for bullying involvement 2) investigate the aetiology and outcomes of chronic bullying victimization, and 3) identify factors within the home environment that help protect bullied children from adverse outcomes. Research was conducted using data from the prospective Environmental Risk (E-Risk) Longitudinal Twin Study, a nationally representative sample of 1,116 twin pairs and their families. Reports on bullying involvement, children’s mental health and family characteristics have been collected from multiple informants when the children were aged 5,7,10 and 12 years. School, neighbourhood and family factors were found to be independently associated with early bullying involvement, even after controlling for the effects of children’s individual characteristics. Behavioural genetic analyses revealed that both environmental and genetic factors influence the persistence of bullying victimization across the transition from primary school to secondary school. A genetically sensitive twin differences design showed that families exert an environmental effect on children’s vulnerability and resilience to bullying victimization. The results of this thesis indicate that children’s individual characteristics including their genes influence their risk for bullying involvement and their likelihood of becoming chronically victimized across different school settings.

In recent years, bullying has come to be established as a significant issue for contemporary workplaces, in Ireland as elsewhere. Our research knowledge is largely psychologically-based, with many studies focusing on the personality characteristics of the victim or perpetrator and bullying has been viewed as an “interpersonal” conflict. However, when other characteristics are considered, research has repeatedly found that workers in the public sector are more likely to report bullying than private sector. In order to investigate this finding, the current study takes a sociological approach and focuses on the workplace, which is arguably shaped by its broader institutional context in terms of the labour market, with specific sectoral characteristics. Part of the rising concerns about workplace bullying can be contextualised in terms of the increasing emphasis placed on the psychological well-being of workers, with the recognition of “new risks” of stress and harassment. However, this focus on individual subjective well-being arguably obscures the collective nature of the phenomena, in terms of its association with the “changing workplace”.

Background: There is a strong argument throughout the literature that childhood trauma and adverse experiences should be considered when working with individuals who experience psychosis. There has been a developing interest in the relationship between childhood bullying and psychosis, although to date, there is limited research in this area. Bullying is a pertinent issue for young people, which argues for further consideration in Early Intervention for Psychosis (EIP) settings.

Aims: The aim of this research is to explore the subjective experiences of childhood bullying for individuals who access EIP services. A secondary aim is to explore whether individuals perceive bullying to be relevant to their experiences of psychosis.

Methodology: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight individuals. Interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis.

Results: Four superordinate and accompanying subordinate themes emerged. The superordinate themes were ‘facing daily threat’, ‘overcoming systemic mistrust’, ‘negotiating power imbalance’ and ‘a process of evolving identity’. ‘Facing daily threat’ conveyed how participants experienced bullying as traumatic. Bullying experiences were considered highly relevant to current experiences of paranoia. ‘Overcoming systemic mistrust’ reflected neglectful responses from teachers and the ways participants felt unheard when first engaging with services. ‘Negotiating power imbalance’ reflected both the complex power relationships within school and the influence of wider social power. ‘A process of evolving identity’ explores the gradual shifts in how participants viewed themselves after verbal bullying. Participants’ psychosis experiences included hearing critical, attacking voices, reinforcing the same messages received from bullies in school.

Discussion: The results are clinically important as they contribute to understanding experiences of psychosis in the context of bullying history. They also highlight the wish for individuals to have more opportunities to discuss bullying in EIP services. Finally, they argue for school systems to further consider their responses to children who seek help for bullying.