Name and Defame: Lived Experiences of Students with Uncommon Names in School Environment

Students with uncommon names often become targets of bullying. This reality motivated me to examine the lived experiences of individuals who have faced such mistreatment due to their names. Employing a phenomenological research design, I collected qualitative data through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions with ten purposively selected high school students. Using thematic analysis, I identified several key themes: name-based bullying leads to emotional distress, diminished self-esteem, and tendencies toward social withdrawal. Participants also reported feelings of shame within their families, perceived a lack of institutional support, and expressed a strong need for empathy and understanding from others. Based on these findings, I recommend conducting a follow-up quantitative study to examine the relationships among these emergent themes, treating them as measurable variables. Additionally, I propose the application of Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) to aid in the development of a standardized questionnaire focused on bullying experiences.