ABSTRACT
Bullying and peer victimization among school-age children are associated with serious academic and psychosocial problems that can harm students’ school performance in the form of school avoidance, lowered levels of academic achievement, heightened conflictual relations with teachers and students, and poorer school adjustment (Cook, Williams, Guerra, Kim, & Sadek, 2010; Espelage, Hong, Rao, & Low, 2013; Glew, Fan, Katon, & Rivara, 2008; Juvonen, Nishina, & Graham, 2000; Nansel, Haynie, & Simons-Morton, 2003). In addition to negative school consequences, victims, bullies, and bully-victims often report adverse psychological effects, which have the potential to lead to subsequent victimization or perpetration (Espelage, Basile, & Hamburger, 2012; Espelage, Low, & De La Rue, 2012; Juvoven, Nishina, & Graham, 2000) and long-term effects into later adolescence and adulthood (Copeland, Wolke, Angold, & Costello, 2013; Espelage, Low, Rao, Hong, & Little, 2013). As a result, many schools and communities are struggling to understand how to prevent bullying and peer victimization to offset these adverse outcomes. This chapter includes a review of the most up-to-date research findings to help practitioners and researchers understand the etiology of bullying and how best to effectively reduce these behaviors.
