School bullying: its nature and ecology

Dorothy L. Espelage; Lisa De La Rue

doi:10.1515/ijamh.2012.002

Article

School bullying: its nature and ecology

Dorothy L. Espelage and Lisa De La Rue

Published/Copyright: November 4, 2011

Published by

Become an author with De Gruyter Brill

Submit Manuscript Author Information Explore this Subject

International Journal of Adolescent Medicine and Health

From the journal Volume 24 Issue 1

Abstract

Background: Recent youth suicides only highlight a persistent problem in schools – bullying and sustained peer victimization. Being a target or victim of bullying has long been recognized has having short- and long-term psychological effects on children and adolescents across the world today. School bullying is one of the most significant public health concerns facing children and adolescents.

Objective: Involvement in the social phenomena of school bullying is often explained as emerging from a wide range of risk and protective factors within the social-ecology of youth. The social-ecological model posits that bullying behaviors are shaped by various interrelated contexts including individual characteristics, family, peers and the school environment.

Methods: Research is reviewed to highlight the correlates of bullying involvement across these context using social-ecological and social-learning frameworks. Meta-analytic studies are reviewed on the short- and long-term impact of bullying involvement and efficacy of bullying prevention programs. Specific recommendations for prevention planning and future research efforts are provided.

Conclusions: Bullying is a multi-faceted issue, which is best understood in the larger social context in which it occurs. Individual characteristics of students contribute to bullying involvement when students have families that promote violence, teachers that ignore or dismiss bullying, schools that have negative climates and students who socialize with friends who bully. These social contexts need to be targeted in bully prevention programs to reduce bullying and peer victimization in schools.

Keywords: adolescence; bullying; school

Corresponding author: Dorothy L. Espelage, PhD, 226A Education Building, 1310 S 6th St, Champaign, IL 61820, USA

Received: 2011-5-1

Revised: 2011-8-18

Accepted: 2011-8-24

Published Online: 2011-11-04

Published in Print: 2012-03-01

You are currently not able to access this content.

Articles in the same Issue

https://doi.org/10.1515/ijamh.2012.002

Keywords for this article

adolescence; bullying; school