Document Type
Article
Abstract
Introduction
Peer teasing is ubiquitous, yet ambiguous in nature. Despite recent attempts to delineate and clarify differences in teasing experienced as playful versus harmful, there remains overlap and complexity in these interactions. In the current study, we present a conceptual model of teasing, which includes many nested features that dynamically interact within a teasing episode. Using this conceptual model to guide our work, the goal of the current study was to use qualitative inquiry to bring further conceptual clarity to the overlap between teasing that is experienced as playful versus harmful.
Method
Using semi-structured interviews, we asked university students (N = 27; 63% female, 18–25 years old) in Ontario, Canada, to describe a teasing interaction from their adolescence that they experienced as 1) harmful and 2) playful, with prompts to fully explore the specifics and context of the interaction.
Results
Using thematic analysis, six primary themes were identified: reciprocity versus repetition, the role of power, factors that amplify harm, the interaction between targets' and perpetrators' responses, the need for social skills, and the lasting impacts of teasing.
Conclusions
These themes demonstrate the various mechanistic patterns that are involved in complex teasing interactions and play an important role in the experience of teasing as either harmful or playful. Implications for teachers, parents, and youth themselves in managing social relationships are discussed.
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
Publication Info
Published in Journal of Adolescence, 2025.
Rights
© 2025 The Author(s). Journal of Adolescence published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for Professionals in Services to Adolescents.
This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.
APA Citation
Naomi, & Dawes, M. (2025). “I Laughed Along for Years But Hated It Inside:” Understanding Nuance in Peer Teasing Experiences Using a Thematic Analysis. Journal of Adolescence. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.70032