Reducing Bullying in Schools- a Critique of Recent Evidence for the Role of Cultural Factors

Abstract

Bullying and victimization are on-going major challenges in education settings internationally. Bullying is a complex phenomenon, but research on the causes of bullying behaviors has tended to focus on individual characteristics rather than school or other environmental factors. It is increasingly recognized, however, that the prevalence of bullying and victimization is likely to be affected by the school culture, particularly policies and practices related to pupils’ behavior and their interactions with their peers and teachers. Here, I discuss some of the existing evidence and uncertainties about these themes, with detailed reference to a recent, large UK study that has examined the contribution of schools’ practice and policies to bullying and victimization. This study, using multilevel analysis within the ‘dynamic model of educational effectiveness’ theoretical framework, provided some empirical evidence that cultural factors such as the level of parental and pupil engagement, and school policies relating to bullying and behavior, and teachers’ perceptions of how policies were implemented, recorded, evaluated, contribute substantially to the prevalence of bullying. As well as describing the strengths of the study design and conduct, I discuss some of the acknowledged limitations that could inform future research into the association of school cultural factors with important non-cognitive as well as cognitive pupil outcomes.