In Review Consequences of Bullying in Schools

The movement to counter bullying owes much of its impe-tus to claims that being repeatedly bullied can have seri-ous consequences for the health and well-being of victims. These claims date from the 19th century at least, when public debate following the publication of Tom Brown’s School Days focused on the harmful effects of bullying in English public schools (1). However, there was little systematic re-search to examine such claims until Professor Dan Olweus’ series of 1970s studies on the nature and effects of bullying in Scandinavian schools (2). Since then, numerous studies of the short- and long-term consequences of school bullying have been carried out in many parts of the world. Although they have mainly focused on the effects on bullying’s victims, they have also given some attention to the possible social conse-quences for those who bully others and also to the possible consequences of being involved in bully–victim problems as both bully and victim. Can J Psychiatry, Vol 48, No 9, October 2003 583 For the most part, studies of the consequences of bullying in schools have concentrated upon health outcomes for children persistently bullied by their peers. Conclusions have been influenced by how bullying has been conceptualized and assessed, the specific health outcomes investigated, and the research method and data analysis employed. Results from cross-sectional surveys suggest that being victimized by peers is significantly related to comparatively low levels of psychological well-being and social adjustment and to high levels of psychological distress and adverse physical health symptoms. Retrospective re-ports and studies suggest that peer victimization may contribute to later difficulties with health and well-being. Longitudinal studies provide stronger support for the view that peer victimization is a significant causal factor in schoolchildren’s lowered health and well-being and that the effects can be long-lasting. Further evidence from longitudinal studies indicates that the tendency to bully others at school significantly predicts subsequent antisocial and violent behaviour. (Can J Psychiatry 2003;48:583–590) Information on author affiliations appears at the end of the article