Commentary on the Special Issue

Abstract

Since the 1980s, the phenomenon of school bullying has been increasingly acknowledged as a worldwide issue. Researchers and practitioners have collaborated internationally to define its nature, measure its incidence, understand its impact on the emotional health and well-being of children and young people across cultures, identify effective coping strategies and develop interventions to reduce and prevent it. Current motivation to continue to investigate bullying in schools is also part of a movement to make schools more enjoyable for all and to help promote pro-social values for the next generation. Bullying, we know, encompasses racism, sexism, homophobia, prejudice and discrimination. Most recently, we see the emergence of new forms of bullying, such as cyberbullying. Despite extensive efforts, researchers and practitioners have not yet found the ideal way to eradicate bullying from schools. One possible reason is that a major focus in the past was on the individual characteristics of bullies and victims. More recently, however, attention has turned to the wider social context within which bullying takes place. Such an approach focuses on the systems and institutions, as well as the individuals who interact and relate to one another within particular environments or cultures. From this perspective, the impetus for change comes from the whole school – its ethos, its values, its concern for rights and responsibilities and the consistency of its policies. This Special Issue reflects a concern to improve the lives of countless children, not only the targets (who clearly suffer) and perpetrators (who are damaged emotionally and socially), but also the bystanders who are negatively affected when bullying goes unchallenged. The contributors, from Cyprus, Greece and Lithuania, take account of current dialogues and debates in the field, including the tension between the focus on individuals and their relationships on the one hand and the social contexts within which bullying takes place on the other. The authors present new quantitative and qualitative research findings as well as critical overviews of interventions. Bibou-Nakou and colleagues present findings from a survey of 502 students about bullying in Greek secondary schools to include duration, location, student response and reported coping strategies. The authors note that 51.9% report that they would definitely help a bullied peer, 24.5% report that they would like to help, while 80.6% express empathy for victims; despite this, bullying is widespread. The detailed research findings give insights into the complexity of the phenomenon and the reasons why so often bullying remains secret and unreported. Paradeisiote and colleagues report findings from a large survey of 1645 students in Cyprus and note the significant proportion of children with psychosocial difficulties. They also found that teachers too often appeared to be unaware of their students’ problems. The authors strongly advocate greater awareness raising in schools and more opportunities for staff training. Robertas and Laima propose Bronfenbrenner’s ecological model in order to explore the nature of bullying at different levels in Lithuania, as experienced by individuals, within the family, in the community and