What Good Schools can Do About Bullying

Abstract

Action against bullying in schools has been quite extensive over the last decade. The article reports a survey of 2308 pupils aged 10-14 years, from 19 schools across England. Frequencies of being bullied and of bullying others suggest some decline from earlier findings, which may reflect positive results achieved by schools concerned about the issue. Victims report a variety of coping strategies, varying with age. Bullies report often feeling that the victim deserved it, a response especially marked in older boys. A `culture of silence' still persists in that 30 percent of victims had told no one of the bullying. However, for those who had told, the outcome was usually seen as positive, although there was a small risk of things getting worse especially when teachers were told. Findings are discussed in terms of the opportunities and challenges facing schools as they work to develop effective anti-bullying policies and strategies.