The contribution of social cognitive theory to school bullying research and practice

This tribute to Albert Bandura shows how his lifetime of work on Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) has contributed to a greater understanding of school bullying. Managing children and adolescents’ problematic behavior is a major challenge for schools with reducing bullying a priority. Here, the principles of SCT relevant to school bullying are outlined within the triadic reciprocal model proposed by Bandura. In this model, bullying behavior is determined by the reciprocal interaction between person (outcome expectations, moral disengagement, self-efficacy) and environment/social factors (modeling, enactive experience, and direct tuition) transmitted by the major sources of influence: peers, parents, teachers, and the media. Application of this theory in anti-bullying programs underscores the conceptual importance of considering person and environment/social factors that are amenable to change. Future directions for intervention programs are elaborated.