Anti-bullying policy must focus on all of society

Policy to reduce bullying in the schoolyard needs to span all levels of society, say researchers from the University of Warwick, who warn that socioeconomic status is not a reliable indicator of whether a child is likely to become a bully.

Up to one third of children are involved in bullying, and a growing body of evidence has shown that bullying is a significant public health concern, which can cause long lasting health and social problems.

The new review, published in the American Journal of Public Health, advises that policy makers should be wary of assuming that bullies are more likely to come from lower socioeconomic backgrounds.

In analysing 28 studies that reported an association between socioeconomic status and bullying, and adjusting for bias, the review showed that bullies were not more likely to come from low socioeconomic backgrounds, and were only marginally less likely to come from the highest socioeconomic levels (2% less likely).

Professor Dieter Wolke said, "We can see that bullies come from all social backgrounds and bullies are found in all neighbourhoods. Some have previously suggested that bullies may be often operating in socially deprived areas – this is not the case!"