Bullying is a form of aggressive behaviour characterized by repeated acts against victims who cannot easily defend themselves (1,2). It can have severe negative consequences, especially for those victimized over a period of time. In the last 2 decades, research and action on school bullying have expanded worldwide (3); there has been widespread circulation of antibullying materials, and some countries legally require schools to have an antibullying policy (4). We review first a range of school-based intervention components to reduce school bullying. Second, we review the outcomes of large-scale intervention projects.
Whole-School PolicyA whole-school policy is a written document that sets out the school's aims in relation to bullying behaviour, together with a set of strategies to be followed. The document is supported by systems and procedures within the school to ensure that its aims and strategies are effectively implemented, monitored, maintained, and reviewed. The whole-school approach usually emphasizes the democratic involvement of all school members in devising and maintaining the policy and has the advantage of potentially integrating numerous components of an antibullying strategy (5,6). It is usually a core component of the large-scale intervention programs reviewed later in this paper and is best evaluated in that context.
Classroom ClimateOne area of debate is the extent to which school antibullying policies and efforts should target bullying directly or focus more generally on improving relationships within the school. Recent work in Norway and Spain has followed the latter approach. A study in Norway found that the quality of classroom management (that is, teacher-pupil relationships) and the social structure of the class (that is, pupil-pupil relationships) substantially predicted rates of reported victimization (7).
Peer-Support SystemsWays of involving pupils themselves in tackling bullying generally aim to encourage action by the majority of pupils who do not like bullying. Peer-support methods include the following: cooperative group work in the classroom (8) In the last 2 decades, school bullying has become a topic of public concern and research around the world. This has led to action to reduce the problem. We review interventions targeted at the school level (for example, whole school policy, classroom climate, peer support, school tribunal, and playground improvement), at the class level (for example, curriculum work), and at the individual level (for example, working with specific pupils). Effectiveness of interventions has been sporadically assessed. We review several systematically evaluated, large-scale, school-based intervention programs. Their effectiveness has varied, and we consider reasons for this. We suggest ways to improve the evaluation and comparability of studies, as well as the effectiveness of future interventions.(Can J Psychiatry 2003;48:591-599)Information on funding and support and author affiliations appears at the end of the article.Highlights · Many school-based in...