Rethinking School Bullying
Towards an Integrated Model

This book explores how to make anti-bullying initiatives more successful by developing effective 'personal theories of bullying'.

Roz Dixon (Author), Peter K. Smith (Author)

9780521889711, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 31 March 2011

240 pages
23.5 x 16 x 1.6 cm, 0.5 kg

What would make anti-bullying initiatives more successful? This book offers a new approach to the problem of school bullying. The question of what constitutes a useful theory of bullying is considered and suggestions are made as to how priorities for future research might be identified. The integrated, systemic model of school bullying introduced in this book is based on four qualitative studies and incorporates theory from systemic thinking; cognitive, social, developmental and psychoanalytic psychology; sociology, socio-biology and ethology. The possible functions served by bullying behaviour are explored. Consideration is also given to the potential role of unconscious as well as conscious processes in bullying. The model suggests a number of causal processes within one-to-one relationships and peer groups, and highlights factors within individuals and schools that shape the form, intensity and duration of bullying behaviour in practice. The issue of 'difference' is also addressed, focusing on childhood deafness.

Introduction
1. Bullying in schools: the research background
2. Understanding schools as systems
3. Bullying in groups: ostracism and scapegoating
4. Developing an integrated, systemic model of school bullying
5. Building personal bodies of knowledge to support research and practice
6. Building a public body of knowledge to support research and practice
7. Conclusion.

Subject Areas: Educational psychology [JNC], Child & developmental psychology [JMC], Counselling & advice services [JKSN2], Child welfare [JKSB1]