Tackling Bullying in Scotland's Schools : a View from the Sidelines

Rivers, Ian and Donnelly, Brian and McMillan, Fergus and Lough Dennell, Brandi Lee (2016) Tackling Bullying in Scotland's Schools : a View from the Sidelines. University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

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Abstract

This policy brief considers the proposals to reduce bullying in Scotland's schools. A number of interventions have been introduced in Scotland’s schools that that place an emphasis on peer-initiated interventions. However these interventions often fail to consider the mental health and wellbeing of the pupils involved. The role of the so-called pupil 'bystander' is fundamentally misunderstood as these pupils often have multiple roles within ‘school yard’ culture. The lack of independently evaluated evidence on the success of direct pupil-initiated interventions to reduce the level of bullying in schools should be of concern to policymakers. A key recommendation is that schools, education authorities and policymakers pause, review the evidence and have an informed discussion about the most effective interventions to deliver safer schools in Scotland.

CORE (COnnecting REpositories)