What Can Be Done About School Bullying?

Abstract

In this article, the authors review research on individual, peer, and school contributions that may be critical factors for enhancing efforts to address bullying among students. Methodological challenges are delineated, with an emphasis on how bullying is defined and assessed and the subsequent implications for bullying prevention and intervention program evaluation. The impact of school-based anti-bullying programs and the challenges currently facing educators and researchers in this area are discussed. The article concludes with a proposal for a broader, ecologically based model of school bullying based on the emerging literature.

Four decades of research on school bullying: An introduction.

“…For these youth, there seems little optimism for change. Research over the past few decades has documented links between victimization and a host of negative mental health, social, and academic outcomes (see Card, Isaacs, & Hodges, 2007;Hawker & Boulton, 2000;Swearer, Espelage, et al, 2010;Swearer & Hymel, 2015, for reviews), with increasing evidence that victimization can "get under the skin," impacting neurobiological functioning (see Vaillancourt, Hymel, & McDougall, 2013). As part of this special issue, McDougall and Vaillancourt (2015) move beyond one-time, snapshot correlates to provide a critical analysis of research on the longitudinal impact of peer victimization over the years of childhood and adolescence, with a focus on how peer victimization during the school years plays out for adjustment in adulthood.…”

“…In North America, public concern about school bullying increased dramatically in the late 1990s, owing in large part to the tragic deaths of our youth by suicide (Marr & Fields, 2001) or murder, especially the 1997 murder of Rina Virk (Godfrey, 2005) and the Columbine massacre in 1998 (Cullen, 2009). Since then, bullying has received unprecedented attention in the media and in academia, both nationally and internationally (e.g., Jimerson, Swearer, & Espelage, 2010;Smith, Pepler, & Rigby, 2004;Swearer, Espelage, Vaillancourt, & Hymel, 2010), and remains a significant concern among parents and educators. Inspired by the 2011 U.S. White House Conference on Bullying, hosted by President and First Lady Obama and the Department of Education, this special issue was undertaken, inviting recognized scholars to critically review current research and theory on school bullying, in an effort to inform future research and practice.…”

Adaptación transcultural y validación del contenido del Delaware School Climate Survey-Student (DSCS-S) en Brasil

“…This is seen in the growing number of school-wide programs for preventing behavior problems and promoting mental health that are designed to improve school climate. They include universal-level programs for promoting social and emotional learning (Durlak, Weissberg, Dymnicki, Taylor, & Schellinger, 2011;Zins & Elias, 2006) and for preventing bullying (Merrell, Gueldner, Ross, & Isava, 2008;Swearer, Espelage, Vaillancourt, & Hymel, 2010) and school violence (American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, 2008; Jimerson & Furlong, 2006). Such programs are particularly important in schools in which bullying and school violence are problems.…”

Perspectives of Individuals who Experienced Bullying during Childhood

“…For example, children who are victims of bullying more frequently experience social isolation, exclusion from social groups, and impoverished interpersonal skills (Batsche & Knoff, 1994;Swearer et al, 2010). Moreover, bullying can be detrimental to the victims' social participation as they enter adulthood (Swearer et al, 2010).…”

“…For example, children who are victims of bullying more frequently experience social isolation, exclusion from social groups, and impoverished interpersonal skills (Batsche & Knoff, 1994;Swearer et al, 2010). Moreover, bullying can be detrimental to the victims' social participation as they enter adulthood (Swearer et al, 2010). The literature suggests that victims of childhood bullying are often afraid to put themselves in situations where they might feel judged and are often disproportionately concerned about what others may think of them (Chambless, 2010).…”