Tall Poppies: Bullying Behaviors Faced by Australian High-Performance School-Age Athletes

Little is known about Australian high-performance school-age athletes’ experiences as victims of the tall poppy syndrome. Tall poppies are successful individuals bullied by those who are less successful in order to “normalize them.” Nineteen current or previous national or international high-performance school-age athletes were interviewed (12 females and seven males). NVivo 10 was used to analyze interview data. Findings indicated all 12 females were bullied at school and this had a detrimental impact on their school life and well-being. No male athletes reported being bullied and their failure to mention this warrants further investigation. Parents and teachers require a greater awareness of tall poppy syndrome behaviors, and schools should promote an antibullying culture that includes resilience training for talented individuals.