ABSTRACT
Social factors of the school population, bystanders, staff and even parents also influence the overall bullying experience. Veenstra claimed that in the relationship between gender and bullying, "besides taking the gender of the bully into account, we should also take the gender of the target and the evaluator". While there exists a copious amount of literature that relates the experiences of bullying to social factors, a static recognition of these factors does not meaningfully contribute to a better understanding, much less intervention and prevention efforts in schools. This awareness of intolerance and prejudice, as well as any action to reduce them should be an aspect of any anti-bullying program that is adopted at a school. Klein explained that with bullying there is a prevailing patriarchal culture that highlights masculinity and masculine behaviors, thus supporting aggressive, dominance-establishing conduct, commonly expressed through bullying.
