Bullying and harassment in schools and the rights of children

By the year 2000, the issue of school bullying has come to occupy a prominent role in the national consciousness of many countries. There has been considerable media publicity, many publications, a great deal of research, and the beginnings of successful school‐based interventions to reduce bullying. In this article I define the term bullying, and discuss the history of the recent upsurge in interest and research. I then overview main findings concerning the nature of school bullying, the school‐based intervention work so far, and the implications for future research and action.