Why is bullying difficult to change?

Abstract

Bullying and victimization are problematic behaviors with negative consequences for everyone: the victims, the bullies, the other students in the classroom and school, the teachers, the parents of the bullies and the victims, and perhaps even the neighborhood in which the school is located. Thus, much is at stake to reduce bullying. Yet, we find that the roles that children and adolescence have in their peer group, and bullying and victimization specifically, can be quite stable over time. Without intervention, there seems to be little change in the occurrence of bullying and victimization. We have also examined the reasons why bullies and victims do not change easily. Understanding these reasons is necessary to create change.