Bullying Cyberbullying And Student Well Being In Schools

An innovative collection of perspectives on school bullying and cyberbullying from India, Western Europe and Australia.

Bullying amongst young people is a serious and pervasive problem, and recent rapid advances in electronic communication technologies have provided even more tools for bullies to exploit. School Bullying and Mental Health collates current research evidence and theoretical perspectives about school bullying in one comprehensive volume, identifying the nature and extent of bullying and cyberbullying at school, as well as its impact on children and young people’s emotional health and well-being. There are many negative consequences of bullying, and children and young people who have been victimised often suffer long-term psychological problems, such as increased levels of anxiety, depressive symptoms, social isolation, loneliness and suicidal ideation. Perpetrators of bullying also have a heightened risk of experiencing problems such as anxiety and depression, as well as eating disorders and antisocial behaviour. Founded on rigorous academic research, this important book tackles the negative consequences of bullying, and bullying culture itself, by examining the social and cultural contexts that perpetuate such behaviour from childhood through adolescence and potentially into adulthood. Containing contributions from an international team of authors, this book explores current interventions to prevent and reduce school bullying and to alleviate its negative effects on the mental health of children and young people. In-depth discussion of the profound implications of this research for researchers, practitioners and policymakers makes this book essential reading for those interested in bullying culture and the mental health and well-being of children and adolescents.

Bullying has long been tolerated as a rite of passage among children and adolescents. There is an implication that individuals who are bullied must have "asked for" this type of treatment, or deserved it. Sometimes, even the child who is bullied begins to internalize this idea. For many years, there has been a general acceptance and collective shrug when it comes to a child or adolescent with greater social capital or power pushing around a child perceived as subordinate. But bullying is not developmentally appropriate; it should not be considered a normal part of the typical social grouping that occurs throughout a child's life. Although bullying behavior endures through generations, the milieu is changing. Historically, bulling has occurred at school, the physical setting in which most of childhood is centered and the primary source for peer group formation. In recent years, however, the physical setting is not the only place bullying is occurring. Technology allows for an entirely new type of digital electronic aggression, cyberbullying, which takes place through chat rooms, instant messaging, social media, and other forms of digital electronic communication. Composition of peer groups, shifting demographics, changing societal norms, and modern technology are contextual factors that must be considered to understand and effectively react to bullying in the United States. Youth are embedded in multiple contexts and each of these contexts interacts with individual characteristics of youth in ways that either exacerbate or attenuate the association between these individual characteristics and bullying perpetration or victimization. Recognizing that bullying behavior is a major public health problem that demands the concerted and coordinated time and attention of parents, educators and school administrators, health care providers, policy makers, families, and others concerned with the care of children, this report evaluates the state of the science on biological and psychosocial consequences of peer victimization and the risk and protective factors that either increase or decrease peer victimization behavior and consequences.

This book focuses on well-being at school in association with positive peer relationships and bullying. Taking an integrative and community-based approach, the book outlines the significance of student-school relationships for well-being and emphasizes the importance of school and classroom climate for promoting well-being. Embedded in research and theory, the book reflects the belief that all of our dealings with children and young people in whatever role, whether as parent or teacher or in some other capacity, are bounded by theory, either implicit or explicit. The book highlights the role of partnerships and linkages in addressing school-based well-being and anti-bullying programs. It pays special attention to the barriers and facilitators that schools must address in engaging with external agencies to deliver strong evidence-based initiatives. The international concern with school bullying is given particular consideration in relation to its impact on the well-being of all involved. A feature of the text is the focus given to the implementation of programs into the busy and complex world of schools and classrooms recognizing that the effectiveness and impact of any school-based program is strongly related to the quality of its implementation. The text reflects a commitment of the authors to a broad-based systemic view of development, taking into account family, school, community and culture as influential factors. The text incorporates a number of pedagogical features e.g. classroom based activities and discussion starters, reflections on points raised in the text, and case studies. This book is of special interest to teachers, school counselors, educational psychologists and mental health professionals working in school settings.

Reporting on the findings from a study of young people across 11 different world locations (Australia, Mainland China, Greece, India, Indonesia, Italy, Korea, The Philippines, Poland, Spain, and Taiwan), A Global Perspective of Young Adolescents’ Peer Aggression and Well-being looks beyond bullying to assess the harm to mental health and well-being of young people experiencing peer aggression in all its forms. The first book in a global movement that recommends a new dialogue on peer aggression, this book delves into the poorly understood nexus of peer aggression and bullying through the use of statistical data from questionnaires, as well as the students’ own words and illustrations. By considering data from multiple countries, it addresses critical questions about cultural variation in aggression and associated well-being. Addressing the issue that there is a growing focus on other forms of aggression other than bullying, A Global Perspective of Young Adolescents’ Peer Aggression and Well-being will offer invaluable insight for practicing teachers and school counsellors, as well as any researchers with an interest in the health and well-being of young adolescents.

′This extraordinarily comprehensive book authored by the leading international authority in the field integrates research, theory and practice on the topic of school bullying. In an already research saturated field Peter Smith’s writing captures the humanity of why this topic strikes such a chord in the community. He reminds us in a thoughtful, practical and caring manner why we must continue to advocate on all levels for those impacted by bullying.′ -Professor Phillip T. Slee, Flinders University, Australia ′Understanding School Bullying offers a refreshingly clear account of the wealth of insights gained over a quarter of a century of research. As Smith’s comprehensive review convincingly shows, much has been learned and much of this has been put to good use in improving children’s wellbeing. This is surely essential reading for any researcher concerned with bullying, childhood or life at school.′ -Sonia Livingstone, London School of Economics and Political Science, UK, author of Children, Risk and Safety Online ′Peter Smith’s new book will occupy a prominent place on my bookshelf. It provides a thorough and highly readable discussion of the breadth of research on school bullying. Dr. Smith includes discussions of important challenges related to research on this topic along with an excellent review of important studies and findings. This unique volume has influenced my thinking about the direction of my own research. The book will be an invaluable resource for researchers, consumers of research, and others who seek a research-based understanding of this important topic.′ -Sheri Bauman, Ph.D., Professor at University of Arizona Bullying involves the repeated abuse of power in relationships. Bullying in schools can blight the lives of victims and damage the climate of the school. Over the last 25 years a burgeoning research program on school bullying has led to new insights into effective ways of dealing with it, as well as new challenges such as the advent of cyberbullying. This new book, by a leading international expert on the topic, brings together the cumulative knowledge acquired and the latest research findings in the area, with a global perspective especially covering research in Europe, North America, Australasia, and Asia. It will appeal to those taking academic courses in psychology, social work, educational psychology, child clinical psychology and psychiatry, and teacher training, but it will also be of interest to parents and teachers.

Explore the latest research and theory on bullying with this international reference from leading voices in the field The two-volume Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Bullying delivers a comprehensive exploration of a wide range of research on bullying, broadly defined. School bullying is dealt with at length, but there is also coverage of college and workplace bullying and bullying within sports settings, prisons, families, and elder care residential homes. Containing contributions from leading scholars on five continents, the book summarizes the latest theories, findings, developmental aspects, and interventions relevant to bullying in a variety of settings. With up-to-date information on rapidly developing topics like sibling bullying, cyberbullying, bias-based bullying, migration and bullying, dating violence, and economic evaluation of bullying prevention programs, The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Bullying offers readers a complete view of a wide array of bullying behaviors. The insightful and up-to-date information contained within the two volumes is destined to become the standard reference for bullying-related research and theory. Readers will benefit from: Fulsome material covering research and practice conventions in countries and regions including Europe, North America, South America, Australasia, Japan, South Korea, India, Mainland China and Hong Kong, the Arab countries, and sub-Saharan Africa A comprehensive discussion on the correlates and outcomes of taking part in bullying, as well as being a victim of bullying An exploration of a variety of strategies to deal with bullying incidents, including proactive, reactive, and peer support approaches An analysis of different kinds of bullying, faith-based bullying, and disablist bullying, including racist and ethnic bullying, sexist and sexual bullying, and homophobic and transphobic bullying Perfect for postgraduate students in programs dealing with bullying in virtually any conceivable context, The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Bullying will also earn a place in the libraries of researchers and practitioners in fields as diverse as psychology, sociology, social work, medicine, criminology, child care, and elder studies.

This book explores the significant deliverables of psychology to society in five sections: identity and relationship, psychology for gainful employment, psychology customized to the community, culturally embedded psychology and alternatives for maximizing psychology. The authors, social scientists of diverse nationalities, represent novel psychological methods, tools and procedures that can have immense social utility in strengthening the relationship and rejuvenating the community. The first section offers an in-depth perspective on the dynamics between identity and relationship. The second section encompasses psychology's contribution in addressing community-based issues like farmer suicide, cyberbullying, smartphone overuse, substance abuse and collective environmental behaviour. The authors in the third section have deliberated upon the behavioural issues pertinent for gainful employment. The fourth section delineates the influence of culture on specific psychological processes. The last section touches upon means beyond conventional strategies, techniques and approaches that may augment psychology's deliverability. The chapters in this book are based upon evidence-based scholarships from seven different countries. As such, it represents an invaluable resource for research scholars and academicians in psychology, human resource managers and mental health practitioners.