Recent research documents that bullying remains a critical issue in Norwegian schools (UngSA, 2013–2033). Results from this research show increasing rates of bullying, particularly in secondary schools (Wendelborg, 2024). This research highlights the severe consequences of bullying for individuals and society, including economic impacts (Bouffard & Koppel, 2017; Varhama & Bjørkqvist, 2005; Friends, 2016).

Much of the research and interventions on bullying are grounded in individual-centered definitions, emphasizing factors such as aggression, intentionality, time, and power (Olweus, 1993; Roland, 1983; Tofi & Farrington, 2011). Over the last decade, these perspectives have been criticized for insufficiently capturing the contextual and relational dimensions of bullying. Newer definitions, on the other hand, place greater emphasis on group dynamics and systemic and structural conditions, framing individual-centered definitions as the "first paradigm" and newer relational approaches as the "second paradigm" (Lund et al., 2017; Lyng, 2018; Schott & Søndergaard, 2014).

Empirical studies emphasizing relational factors of bullying have, in this respect, discovered "blind spots" in school environments that allow negative social group dynamics to develop (Eriksen & Lyng, 2015). These findings underscore the need for further research on underlying social processes related to bullying tendencies. However, there are few studies that shed light on how social and relational factors play out longitudinally and how these factors may contribute to the persistence of bullying in schools (Lyng, 2018, p. 500).

The current paper explores this relational issue of school bullying through nine retrospective narratives from young people experiencing marginalization and exclusion. The study examines how selected informants reflect on their experiences of bullying in relation to the social surroundings in their given school settings, with emphasis on group processes and dynamics. Theoretically, the analysis draws on Schott & Søndergaard (2014), Pellegrini et al. (2010), Tajfel & Turner (1986), and Koselleck (2004; 2007) to explore young people's perceived individual possibilities of action. Based on this background we raise the following research questions:

-       How do young people, experiencing bullying in school, describe and reflect on the social and relational processes connected to their marginalisation?

-       What do these descriptions and reflections reveal about the informants' perceived opportunities for action within the school context?

The study is based on data from the longitudinal qualitative research project Young People, Education, and Early School Leaving (UngSA) (2013–2033), which follows 70 youths in and outside upper secondary school environments within a regional municipality in Norway. The dataset consists of 65 interviews from 30 informants, which were carefully analysed. We used NVivo to identify interviews where participants addressed bullying and related terms. Based on descriptions of social group dynamics, we narrowed the dataset down to 17 interviews with associated field notes from nine participants (five boys and four girls), approximately 16 years old. All the informants were interviewed with up to three follow up sessions. All the informants attended vocational programs in upper secondary school. The project relied on voluntary participation. Methodologically, the study was based on ethnographic explorative interviews through an Indirect Approach method (Moshuus & Eide, 2016). The Indirect Approach is an interview method specifically designed to elicit narratives from young people in vulnerable life situations. This approach allows participants to share their experiences freely, steering the conversation and revealing aspects researchers might not think to ask about—such as stories about bullying (Moshuus & Eide, 2016). In the analysis of our data, we drew on Braun and Clarke's (2006, 2020) reflexive thematic analysis, following six non-linear phases. This inductive, "bottom-up" analytic approach emphasised young people's voices and resulted in three semantic themes emerging from the corpus: - Social group dynamics in school - Teachers' perceived roles - Young people's opportunities for action

The findings from the analysis reveal a dualistic status hierarchy between "the cool" and "the others" in school, with clearly defined inclusion and exclusion markers. Participants identified themselves as "the others," marginalised both socially and emotionally. This exclusion fostered a lasting identity of "otherness," leading participants to internalise blame for the bullying. The rigid hierarchical structures provided few opportunities for action, leaving participants feeling paralysed, particularly during secondary school. Minimal teacher intervention was noted, which might have significantly impacted the participants' perceived opportunities for action from a longitudinal perspective. After transitioning to upper secondary vocational school, participants reported fewer incidents of bullying and greater inclusion, enabling them to form friendships and envision new possibilities for action. The most significant changes thus occur when students experience less repetition of bullying behaviours in their new environments. Notably, the transition from primary to secondary school did not produce similar effects, as bullying experiences often intensified during this period. Overall, our findings suggest that while school transitions may reduce bullying pressure, the fixed hierarchical group structures in the school environment appear to remain intact. We recommend further research into these longitudinal features in school settings to better understand how the social dynamics in schools reproduce bullying tendencies and shape opportunities for action for marginalised youth.

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