Bullying in schools: An ecological framework

In this paper, we will argue that careful examination of research on bullying and victimization establishes that these are ecological phenomenon that emerge from social, physical, institutional and community contexts as well as the individual characteristics of youth who are bullied and victimized. Consequently, we will use an ecological framework to review prominent definitions and explanations of the problem of bullying and to make suggestions for linking intervention to research findings. It is hoped that this paper will further bridge the gap between the empirical knowledge about bullying and resultant prevention and intervention efforts.