Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-2xdlg Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-02T08:16:17.163Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

1 - Research on bullying in schools in European countries

from Part I - Social awareness and research on bullying and cyberbullying

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 April 2016

By
Peter K. Smith
Edited by
Peter K. Smith ,
Keumjoo Kwak  and
Yuichi Toda
Peter K. Smith
Affiliation:
Goldsmiths, University of London
Keumjoo Kwak
Affiliation:
Seoul National University
Yuichi Toda
Affiliation:
Osaka Kyoiku University, Japan
Get access

Summary

One origin of school bullying research is in western Europe, and specifically in Scandinavia. This chapter reviews how this research programme originated, the early work, and how it spread to the U.K. and to other European countries during the 1990s and 2000s. It discusses issues around the definition (of ‘mobbning’, ‘bullying’, and other terms used), of types of bullying (the inclusion of relational bullying in the later 1980s, and cyberbullying in the 2000s), the main types of study done, and some of the main research findings on prevalence (including the HBSC surveys and EDU Kids Online survey), findings from a recent survey in Northern Ireland, types of bullying, age and gender differences, bullying and disability, who bullies who, place and duration of bullying, attitudes to victims, coping strategies and telling someone about bullying. It discusses individual and personality factors, peer group factors, family factors, class and school factors; and consequences of involvement in bullying.
Type
Chapter
Information
School Bullying in Different Cultures
Eastern and Western Perspectives
 , pp. 3 - 29
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2016

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Ahmad, Y., Whitney, I. and Smith, P.K. (1991). A survey service for schools on bully/victim problems. In Smith, P.K. and Thompson, D.A. (eds.), Practical approaches to bullying (pp.103–111). London: David Fulton.Google Scholar
Alsaker, F.D. (2004). Bernese programme against victimisation in kindergarten and elementary school. In Smith, P.K., Pepler, D. and Rigby, K. (eds.), Bullying in schools: How successful can interventions be? (pp.289–306). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ananiadou, K. and Smith, P.K. (2002). Legal requirements and nationally circulated materials against school bullying in European countries. Criminal Justice, 2, 471–491.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Andreou, E. (2004). Bully/victim problems and their association with Machiavellianism and self-efficacy in Greek primary school children. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 297–309.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Arora, C.M.J. and Thompson, D.A. (1987). Defining bullying for a secondary school. Education and Child Psychology, 14, 110–120.Google Scholar
Arseneault, L., Milne, B.J., Taylor, A., Adams, F., Delgado, K., Caspi, A. and Moffitt, T.E. (2008). Being bullied as an environmentally mediated contributing factor to children’s internalizing problems: A study of twins discordant for victimization. Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, 162, 145–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Atria, M., Strohmeier, D., and Spiel, C. (2007). The relevance of the school class as social unit for the prevalence of bullying and victimization. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 4, 372–387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ball, H.A., Arseneault, L., Taylor, A., Maughan, B., Caspi, A. and Moffitt, T.E. (2008). Genetic and environmental influences on victims, bullies and bully-victims in childhood. Journal of Child Psychiatry and Psychiatry 49, 104–112.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Berne, S., Frisén, A., Schultze-Krumbholz, A., Scheithauer, H., Naruskov, K., Luik, P., Katzer, C., Erentaite, R. and Zukauskiene, R. (2013). Cyberbullying assessment instruments: A systematic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 18, 320–334.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Besag, V.E. (2006). Understanding girls’ friendships, fights and feuds: A practical approach to girls’ bullying. Maidenhead: Open University Press.Google Scholar
Bibou-Nakou, I., Tsiantis, J., Assimopoulos, H. and Chatzilambou, P. (2012). Bullying/victimization from a family perspective: a qualitative study of secondary school student’ views. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 28, 53–71.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Björkqvist, K., Lagerspetz, K.M.J. and Kaukiainen, A. (1997). Do girls manipulate and boys fight? Developmental trends in regard to direct aggression. Aggressive Behavior, 18, 117–27.Google Scholar
Boulton, M.J. (2013). The effects of victim of bullying reputation on adolescents’ choice of friends: Mediation by fear of becoming a victim of bullying, moderation by victim status, and implications for befriending interventions. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 114, 146–160.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowes, L., Arseneault, L., Maughan, B., Taylor, A., Caspi, A. and Moffitt, T.E. (2009). School, neighborhood, and family factors are associated with children’s bullying involvement: A nationally representative longitudinal study. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 48, 545–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowes, L., Maughan, B., Caspi, A., Moffitt, T.E. and Arseneault, L. (2010). Families promote emotional and behavioural resilience to bullying: Evidence of an environmental effect. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 51, 809–817.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bowers, L., Smith, P.K. and Binney, V. (1992). Family relationships as perceived by children involved in bully/victim problems at school. Journal of Family Therapy, 14, 371–387.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Brighi, A., Melotti, G., Guarini, A., Genta, M.L., Ortega, R., Mora- Merchán, J. A., Smith, P.K. and Thompson, F. (2012). Self-esteem and loneliness in relation to cyberbullying in three European countries. In Li, Q., Cross, D. and Smith, P.K. (eds.), Cyberbullying in the global playground: Research from international perspectives (pp.32–56). Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Caravita, S., DiBlasio, P. and Salmivalli, C. (2009). Unique and interactive effects of empathy and social status on involvement in bullying. Social Development, 18, 140–163.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cowie, H. (1998). Perspective of teachers and pupils on the experience of peer support against bullying. Educational Research and Evaluation, 4, 108–125.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Craig, W., Harel-Fisch, Y., Fogel-Grinvald, H., Dostaler, S., Hetland, J., Simons-Morton, B., Molcho, B., Gaspar de Mato, M., Overpeck, M., Due, P., Pickett, W., HBSC Violence & Injuries Prevention Focus Group & HBSC Bullying Writing Group (2009). A cross-national profile of bullying and victimization among adolescents in 40 countries. International Journal of Public Health, 54 (Suppl 2), 216–224.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Currie, C. et al. (eds.). (2012). Social determinants of health and well-being among young people. Health Behaviour in School-aged Children (HBSC) study: International report from the 2009/2010 survey. Copenhagen: WHO Regional Office for Europe.Google Scholar
DCSF (2009). Staying Safe Survey: Key findings: Bullying. London: DCSF.Google Scholar
DfE (2010). The Importance of Teaching: The Schools White Paper 2010. www.education.gov.uk/publications/eOrderingDownload/CM-7980.pdfGoogle Scholar
DfE (2014). Preventing and tackling bullying: Advice for headteachers, staff and governing bodies. www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/444862/Preventing_and_tackling_bullying_advice.pdfGoogle Scholar
Duncan, N. (1999). Sexual bullying: Gender conflict and pupil culture in secondary schools. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Endresen, I.M. and Olweus, D. (2001). Self-reported empathy in Norwegian adolescents: Sex differences, age trends, and relationship to bullying. In Bohart, A.C., Arthur, C. and Stipek, D.J. (eds.), Constructive and destructive behavior: Implications for family, school and society (pp.147–165). Washington, D.C.: American Psychological Association.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Farrington, D. (1993). Understanding and preventing bullying. In Tonry, M (ed.), Crime and justice: A review of research, vol. 17 (pp.381–458). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.Google Scholar
Farrington, D. P., Lösel, F., Ttofi, M.M. and Theodorakis, N. (2012). School bullying, depression and offending behaviour later in life: An updated systematic review of longitudinal studies. Stockholm: Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention.Google Scholar
Fisher, H.L., Moffitt, T.E., Houts, R.M., Belsky, D.W., Arseneault, L. and Caspi, A. (2012). Bullying victimisation and risk of self harm in early adolescence: longitudinal cohort study. British Medical Journal, 344, e2683.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fox, C.L. and Boulton, M.J. (2006). Friendship as a moderator of the relationship between social skills problems and peer victimisation. Aggressive Behavior, 32, 110–121.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Genta, M.L., Brighi, A. and Guarini, A. (2009). Bullying and cyberbullying in adolescence. Rome: Carocci.Google Scholar
Genta, M.L., Brighi, A. and Guarini, A. (eds.) (2013). Cyberbullismo: Ricerche e strategie di intervento (Cyberbullying: research and intervention strategies). Milano: Franco Angeli.Google Scholar
Genta, M. L., Smith, P. K., Ortega, R., Brighi, A., Guarini, A., Thompson, F., Tippett, N., Mora-Merchan, J. and Calmaestra, J. (2012). Comparative aspects of cyberbullying in Italy, England and Spain: Findings from a DAPHNE project. In Li, Q., Cross, D. and Smith, P.K. (eds.), Cyberbullying in the global playground: Research from international perspectives (pp. 15–31). Chichester, England: Wiley-Blackwell.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gini, G. (2006). Social cognition and moral cognition in bullying: What’s wrong? Aggressive Behavior, 32, 528–539.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heinemann, P.P. (1972). Mobbning – Gruppvåld bland barn och vuxna. Stockholm: Natur och Kultur.Google Scholar
House of Commons Education and Skills Committee (2007). Bullying: Third report of Session 2006-07. London: The Stationery Office.Google Scholar
Hughes, T. (1857). Tom Brown’s schooldays. Cambridge: Macmillan.Google Scholar
Huitsing, G. and Veenstra, R. (2012). Bullying in classrooms: Participant roles from a social network perspective, Aggressive Behavior, 38, 494–509.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hunter, S.C. and Boyle, J.M.E. (2004). Appraisal and coping strategy use of victims of school bullying. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 83–107.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jolliffe, D. and Farrington, D.P. (2011). Is low empathy related to bullying after controlling for individual and social background variables? Journal of Adolescence, 34, 59–71.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kaenel-Platt, J and Douglas, T. (2012). Cybermentoring. In Costabile, A. and Spears, B.A. (eds.), The impact of technology on relationships in educational settings (pp.151–157). London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Livingstone, S., Haddon, L., Görzig, A. and Ólafsson, K. (2011). Risks and safety on the internet: The perspective of European children. Full findings. LSE, London: EU Kids Online.Google Scholar
Lowenstein, L.F. (1978a). Who is the bully? Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 31, 147–149.Google Scholar
Lowenstein, L.F. (1978b). The bullied and non-bullied child. Bulletin of the British Psychological Society, 31, 316–318.Google Scholar
Machmutow, K., Perren, S., Sticca, F. and Alsaker, F.D. (2012). Peer victimisation and depressive symptoms: Can specific coping strategies buffer the negative impact of cybervictimisation? Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 17, 403–420.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mahdavi, J. and Smith, P.K. (2007). Individual risk factors or group dynamics? An investigation of the scapegoat hypothesis of victimisation in school classes. European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 4, 353–371.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McGuckin, C., Perren, S., Corcoran, L., Cowie, H., Dehue, F., Ševčiková, A., Tsatsou, P. and Vollink, T. (2013). Coping with cyberbullying: How can we prevent cyberbullying and how victims can cope with it. In Smith, P.K. and Steffgen, G. (eds.), Cyberbullying through the new media: Findings from an international network (pp.121–135). Hove: Psychology Press.Google Scholar
McLeod, M. and Morris, S. (1996). Why me? Children talking to ChildLine about bullying. ChildLine, Royal Mail Building, Studd Street, London N1 0QW.Google Scholar
Menesini, E., Codecasa, E., Benelli, B. and Cowie, H. (2003). Enhancing children’s responsibility to take action against bullying: evaluation of a befriending intervention in Italian middle schools. Aggressive Behavior, 29, 1–14.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menesini, E., Eslea, M., Smith, P.K., Genta, M.L., Giannetti, E., Fonzi, A. and Costabile, A. (1997). A cross-national comparison of children’s attitudes towards bully/victim problems in school. Aggressive Behavior, 23, 245–257.3.0.CO;2-J>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Menesini, E., Nocentini, A., Palladino, B. E., Frisén, A., Berne, S., Ortega Ruiz, R., Calmaestra, J., Scheithauer, H., Schultze-Krumbholz, A., Luik, P., Naruskov, K., Blaya, C., Berthaud, J. and Smith, P.K. (2012). Cyberbullying definition among adolescents: A comparison across six European countries. Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking, 15, 455–463.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mora-Merchán, J. and Jäger, T. (eds.) (2010). Cyberbullying: A cross-national comparison. Landau: Verlag Emprische Padagogik.Google Scholar
Muñoz, L.C., Qualter, P. and Padgett, G. (2011). Empathy and bullying: Exploring the influence of callous-unemotional traits. Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 42, 183–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Naylor, P. and Cowie, H. (1999). The effectiveness of peer support systems in challenging school bullying: the perspectives and experiences of teachers and pupils. Journal of Adolescence, 22, 467–479.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Naylor, P., Cowie, H. and del Rey, R. (2001). Coping strategies of secondary school children in response to being bullied. Child Psychology and Psychiatry Review, 6, 114–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olweus, D. (1973). Forskning om skolmobbning. Stockholm, Sweden: Almqvist and Wiksell.Google Scholar
Olweus, D. (1978). Aggression in the schools: Bullies and whipping boys. Washington, DC: Hemisphere.Google Scholar
Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. Oxford: Blackwell.Google Scholar
Olweus, D. (1999a). Sweden. In Smith, P.K., Morita, Y., Junger-Tas, J., Olweus, D., Catalano, R. and Slee, P. (eds.) (1999). The nature of school bullying: A cross-national perspective (pp. 7–27). London and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Olweus, D. (1999b). Norway. In Smith, P.K., Morita, Y., Junger-Tas, J., Olweus, D., Catalano, R. and Slee, P. (Eds.) (1999). The nature of school bullying: A cross-national perspective (pp. 28–48). London and New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Olweus, D. (2012). Cyberbullying: an overrated phenomenon? European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 9, 520–538.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Olweus, D. and Limber, S. (2010). The Olweus Bullying Prevention Program: Implementation and evaluation over two decades. In Jimerson, S., Swearer, S. and Espelage, D. (eds.), Handbook of bullying in schools: An international perspective (pp. 377–401). New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
O’Moore, M. and Minton, S.J. (2004). Ireland: the Donegal Primary Schools’ anti-bullying project. In Smith, P.K., Pepler, D. and Rigby, K. (eds.), Bullying in schools: How successful can interventions be? (pp.275–287). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ortega, R., del Rey, R. and Mora-Merchan, J. (2004). SAVE model: An anti-bullying intervention in Spain. In Smith, P.K., Pepler, D. and Rigby, K. (eds.), Bullying in schools: How successful can interventions be? (pp.167–185). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peeters, M., Cillessen, A.H.N. and Scholte, R.H.J. (2010). Clueless or powerful? Identifying subtypes of bullies in adolescence. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 39, 1041–1052.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Perren, S., Corcoran, L., Cowie, H., Dehue, F., Garcia, D., Mc Guckin, C., Ševčíková, A., Tsatsou, P. and Völlink, T. (2012). Tackling cyberbullying: Review of empirical evidence regarding successful responses by students, parents and schools. International Journal of Conflict and Violence, 6, 283–293.Google Scholar
Pikas, A. (1989). A pure concept of mobbing gives the best results for treatment. School Psychology International, 10, 95–104.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pikas, A. (2002). New developments of the Shared Concern Method. School Psychology International, 23, 307–336.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Renati, R., Berrone, C. and Zanetti, M.A. (2012). Morally disengaged and unempathic: Do cyberbullies fit these definitions? An exploratory study. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 15, 391–398.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Research and discussion on scapegoating and classroom dynamics (2007). Special Section of European Journal of Developmental Psychology, 4(4).Google Scholar
Rivers, I. (2011). Homophobic bullying: Research and theoretical perspectives. Oxford: Oxford University Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Roland, E. (2011). The broken curve: Norwegian manifesto against bullying. International Journal of Behavioural Development, 35, 383–388.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
RSM McClure Watters (2011). The nature and extent of pupil bullying in schools in the North of Ireland, Volume 56, Bangor, UK: Department of Education for Northern Ireland.Google Scholar
Saarento, S., Kärnä, A., Hodges, E.V.E. and Salmivalli, C. (2013). Student-, classroom-, and school-level risk factors for victimization. Journal of School Psychology, 51, 421–434.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salmivalli, C. (2010). Bullying and the peer group: A review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 15, 112–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salmivalli, C., Lagerspetz, K., Björkqvist, K., Österman, K. and Kaukiainen, A. (1996). Bullying as a group process: participant roles and their relations to social status within the group. Aggressive Behavior, 22, 1–15.3.0.CO;2-T>CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salmivalli, C., Kärnä, A. and Poskiparta, E. (2010). From peer putdowns to peer support: A theoretical model and how it translated into a national anti-bullying program. In Jimerson, S., Swearer, S., and Espelage, D. (eds.), Handbook of bullying in schools: An international perspective (pp. 441–454). New York: Routledge.Google Scholar
Salmon, G., James, A. and Smith, D.M. (1998). Bullying in schools: Self reported anxiety, depression, and self esteem in secondary school children. British Medical Journal 317, 924–925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Schuster, B. (1999). Outsiders at school: The prevalence of bullying and its relation with social status. Group Processes and Intergroup Relations, 2, 175–190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Slonje, R., and Smith, P.K. (2008). Cyberbullying: Another main type of bullying? Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 49, 147–154.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, P.K. (ed.) (2003). Violence in schools: The response in Europe. Routledge: London.Google Scholar
Smith, P.K., Madsen, K. and Moody, J. (1999). What causes the age decline in reports of being bullied at school? Towards a developmental analysis of risks of being bullied. Educational Research, 41, 267–85.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, P.K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S. and Tippett, N. (2008). Cyberbullying: its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 49, 376–385.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Smith, P.K., Morita, Y., Junger –Tas, J., Olweus, D., Catalano, R. and Slee, P. (eds) (1999). The nature of school bullying: A cross-national perspective. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Smith, P.K. and Sharp, S. (eds.) (1994). School bullying: Insights and perspectives. London: Routledge.Google Scholar
Smith, P.K. and Steffgen, G. (eds.) (2013). Cyberbullying through the new media: Findings from an international network. Hove: Psychology Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Smith, P.K., Talamelli, L., Cowie, H., Naylor, P. and Chauhan, P. (2004). Profiles of non-victims, escaped victims, continuing victims and new victims of school bullying. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 74, 565–581.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Solberg, M.E. and Olweus, D. (2003). Prevalence estimation of school bullying with the Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire. Aggressive Behavior, 29, 239–268.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stevens, V. and Van Oost, P. (1994). Pesten op school: Een actieprogramma [Bullying at school: An action programme]. Kessel-Lo: Garant Uitgevers.Google Scholar
Sutton, J. and Keogh, E. (2000). Social competition in school: Relationships with bullying, Machiavellianism and personality. British Journal of Educational Psychology, 70, 443–456.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sutton, J., Smith, P.K. and Swettenham, J. (1999). Social cognition and bullying: Social inadequacy or skilled manipulation? British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 17, 435–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Roekel, E., Scholte, R.H.J. and Didden, R. (2009). Bullying among adolescents with autism spectrum disorders: Prevalence and perception. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 40, 63–73.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Veenstra, R., Lindenberg, S., Zijlstra, B.J.H., De Winter, A.F., Verhulst, F.C. and Ormel, J. (2007). The dyadic nature of bullying and victimization: Testing a dual-perspective theory. Child Development, 78, 1843–1854.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, K., Chambers, M., Logan, S. and Robinson, D. (1996). Association of common health symptoms with bullying in primary school children. British Medical Journal, 313, 17–19.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Zwierzynska, K., Wolke, D. and Lereya, T.S. (2013). Peer victimization in childhood and internalizing problems in adolescence: A prospective longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 41, 309–323.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×