An introduction to bullying

Bullying is a common feature of every day life. We see it in the workplace, in the home, in the club and the sports field, but most commonly of all at school, where children learn as much about how to behave towards others as they do about their lessons in class. Unfortunately, some children learn only too well how to dominate others by foul means rather than by fair, and sadly begin to enjoy doing so, setting a pattern for how they will behave as adults. Meanwhile other children, more easily dominated, suffer miserably, often in silence, and develop a victim mentality that they may be unable to shake off.

Modern educationalists are saying that it doesn't have to be like that. Hence we now have a substantial body of information, much of it based upon rigorous research, detailing how schools can devise policies and procedures to reduce bullying and how victimised children can be helped to cope more effectively.

How then can schools and parents and children benefit from this explosion of knowledge ? The purpose of this site is simply to make such knowledge as we have, accessible to the ever-growing number of teachers and parents and children who can use the internet. Especially, I want these facts to be known:

• That being bullied continually at school can have serious short-term and long-term effects on the well-being, both physical and psychological of large numbers of children (See "Does bullying really do children any harm?")
   
• That at least one child in six in Australian schools reports being bullied weekly (See "What children tell us about bullying in schools"). Comparable figures have been reported from many countries. Consider what hardship these figures represent !
   
• That there is now good evidence from Australia and overseas that it IS POSSIBLE to reduce bullying in schools a by means of thoughtfully conceived policies, programmes and practices. See "Bullying in schools and what to do about it." and also, more recently, in "Bullying in schools: guidelines to effective action."
   
• That parents can certainly help children to counter the problem: whether their child is being victimised by others, or engages in bullying others, or sees others being bullied and wants to stop it.
   
• Finally, that children themselves can learn how not to be bullies or victims, but rather to lead more cooperative and fulfilling lives

Already the literature on bullying is very extensive. Because I have been engaged in working against school bullying for the last ten years or so I have read a great deal of it, as well as making many contributions personally.

I have tried to select what is good and useful and thought-provoking in the hope that the efforts of teachers, parents - and children themselves - can become more focussed, and really make a difference.