Trends & Issues in Crime and Criminal Justice

No. 259: Addressing bullying in schools : theory and practice

Ken Rigby
ISBN 0 642 53810 7 ; ISSN 0817-8542 ; CRC 10/00-01
June 2003

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Abstract

Bullying in schools has become an issue of major importance among educators. However, interventions to reduce bullying have enjoyed only modest and limited success. This paper, which is based on a project partially funded by the Criminology Research Council, examines five different theoretical perspectives on understanding bullying and their implications. These approaches emphasise, respectively: individual differences; a sociocultural perspective; group and peer pressure; and bullying from the perspective of restorative justice. Each has had some impact on school policies and practices to counter bullying. The strengths and limitations of the different explanations are examined. It is concluded that none of them is sufficiently comprehensive in providing a definitive answer as to what is 'best practice' in this area. Therefore, in applying anti-bullying policies and procedures, schools should consider the strengths and limitations of each suggested approach and the appropriateness of its application to particular bully / victim problems.

This paper is taken from the report of research undertaken with the assistance of a grant from the Criminology Research Council.

References

• Download final report: How Australian schools are responding to the problem of peer victimisation in schools
• Criminology Research Council
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