Introduction
Research both within Australia and around the world underscores the short-and long-term negative effects of bullying on children's socio-emotional health and wellbeing. While there has been a significant increase in the number of studies conducted with upper primary and secondary students, comparatively fewer studies have focused on the prior-to-school and early school contexts. The few studies that have examined the impact of bullying in the early years underscore its negative effects with victims and bullies exhibiting psychosocial maladjustment and psychosomatic problems similar to outcomes reported with older samples (see Neilsen-Hewett, Bussey & Fitzpatrick, 2017). Bullying poses a significant risk to children's socio-emotional wellbeing and mental health. A growing awareness of how bullying manifests itself in early peer contexts is therefore critical in the development of effective preventative anti-bullying initiatives. The goal of this chapter is to provide a synthesis of this research including an overview of the causes and correlates of bullying and its effects on children's socio-emotional wellbeing.
What is Bullying?
Bullying typically refers to physical or psychological aggressive behaviours that intentionally cause harm to another child, are repeated over time, evolve from a position of power and are frequently used to establish dominance within the peer group (Olweus, 1993). Direct bullying involves face-to-face encounters between the bully and the victim. This includes physical aggression such as punching, shoving or breaking of belongings. Direct bullying also includes direct verbal aggression such as name-calling. Indirect bullying or relational bullying involves more covert behaviours and includes harm caused through the damaging of social relationships, manifesting through social exclusion, withdrawing friendships or spreading rumours (Hawker & Boulton, 2000).
Cyberbullying
Cyberbullying, a comparatively new form of bullying, involves using information and communication technology (ICT) to intentionally hurt or harm another child. The proliferation of electronic media has provided a new platform for bullies to threaten, harass and humiliate their victims; the multi-contextual nature of this form of bullying means children are potentially at risk 24/ 7, with few avenues for escape (Kowalski, Limber & Agatston, 2012). Cyberbullying can occur anywhere at anytime; it is not limited to the school yard as with most traditional bullying. It is also less subject to monitoring by others, particularly by adults, than is traditional bullying.