Toward Evidence-Based Interventions for Chronically Bullied Children: Candidate Mechanisms and Potential Strategies

ABSTRACT

Current anti-bullying interventions are designed to reduce the overall prevalence of bullying and victimization. Systematic reviews document the efficacy of these programs, but emerging evidence suggests that chronically bullied children are less likely to benefit and possibly experience increased problems following program implementation. Recent investigations into processes contributing to chronic peer victimization help explain the limited impact of anti-bullying programs. We drew from that literature to offer a working model of the plight of chronic victims. This framework emphasizes social exclusion as a pivotal pathway to peers’ moral disengagement and involvement in what Thornberg (2015a) calls the collective action of bullying. We propose that chronic victims of school bullying require intervention strategies that can counter the prevailing narrative of social exclusion. We suggest effective interventions will be those that target the following candidate mechanisms: a) quality contact between chronic victims and peers, b) contingencies that govern social exclusion of chronic victims, and c) contingencies that govern social bids by chronic victims. We present five existing school-based interventions that have the potential to alter one or more of these mechanisms: Social Skills Training with Peer Group Experiences; The Good Behavior Game, Making Socially Accepting Inclusive Classrooms, Cooperative Learning and Lunch Buddy mentoring. We highlight features shared by these interventions and discuss implications for future research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.