Bullying Behavior, Bully Prevention Programs, and Gender

ABSTRACT Until the wave of school shootings beginning in 1993, little research on bullying behavior was conducted by American researchers. The horrific act of school violence at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, prompted American researchers to seriously consider the physical and emotional implications of bullying. Drawing from studies spearheaded by Norwegian researcher Dan Olweus and others, American researchers reevaluated the impact of bullying behavior, prompting the construction of anti-bullying school programs modeled after Olweus' Bully Prevention Program. Newer research highlights the differences in how girls and boys bully. This critical review of the literature argues for gender differences to be considered when constructing bully prevention programs, either as separate or within already established elementary, middle, and high school programs.