Interventions for Students Who Exhibit Bullying or Aggressive Behavior

Abstract

Youth bullying and other associated forms of aggression continue to be public health issues that are associated with deleterious educational and psychosocial outcomes. In this chapter, we briefly provide a discussion of definitions of bullying and prevalence of bullying internationally, and comment on how bullying is a precursor to other forms of aggression, including bias-based aggression (e.g., sexual harassment, racism). Framing bullying involvement as emerging from risk factors embedded in a child’s larger social ecology, we review the literature on individual, family, and school-related predictors. Interventions are then reviewed that attempt to reduce risk factors at the individual (e.g., social–emotional, mindfulness), family, and school levels. Research evidence for each of these targeted interventions indicates modest, but promising effects. Much work still needs to be done to develop, refine, and evaluate these programs with an eye of developing prevention programs that address bias and inequities that are often undergirding bullying and other forms of aggression among youth. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved)