Exploring the role of school psychologists/counsellors in addressing bullying: Current practices and suggested future directions

Abstract

Bullying is widely accepted as a significant issue confronting schools across the globe. The potential short and long-term consequences of bullying for involved students include negative academic and mental health impacts. It is known that a whole-school approach is required to effectively manage bullying. As such, school psychologists and counsellors are well-placed to play an important role in the prevention of and response to bullying in their workplace schools. By virtue of their training and skill-set, school psychologists and counsellors could be involved in the training of other staff, educating and collaborating with stakeholders, and counselling the involved students utilising methods such as motivational interviewing. In order for these staff members to play an effective role in bullying prevention and intervention, they require professional development on bullying, a supportive leadership team and a workplace that provides a clear delineation of their role.