What is bullying?

Some definitions are very general, for example, Olweus (1986 and 1991) states that a person is 'being bullied or victimised when he or she is exposed repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more students'. It also involves an imbalance of power, where the victim has difficulty defending him/herself. See the book by Olweus (1993).
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Comment

Definitions like this cover a wide spectrum of behaviour. At one end of this spectrum are minor incidents which may be difficult to distinguish from normal playground 'rough and tumble'. At the other end of the spectrum is behaviour which can cause serious and lasting damage.
(Andrew Mellor)
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Article details

D Olweus (1993) 'Bullying at School: what we know and what we can do', Oxford: Blackwell Publishers Limited. Click the book image to buy it online and read some excerpts.
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Author details

Professor Dan Olweus was the first person to carry out a thorough research project on bullying. This large, long term study which began in Sweden in 1970, was to provide the inspiration for many who felt that bullying in schools should be challenged rather than accepted. Since the 1970s, his work in this area had continued with force. Indeed, in 1997-99, he led a group in a large project which introduced the widely respected Olweus (anti-bullying) programme to schools in Norway. Professor Olweus is based at the Research Centre for Health Promotion, University of Bergen in Norway and can be contacted by email.
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