Bullying involves repeated acts of aggression, intimidation, or coercion against a victim who is weaker than the perpetrator in terms of physical size or social power (Carney and Merrell
2001; Olweus
1997; Smith and Ananiadou
2003). Bullying can undermine the social culture of a school through overt and dramatic acts, or through covert and undetected acts. Nearly 30% of students report being involved in bullying incidents (Swearer and Espelage
2004), and both victims and perpetrators are at greater risk for educational failure (Carney and Merrell
2001). With increasing frequency, bullying is being recognized as a major threat to the social fabric of schools, communities and homes (Merrell, Gueldner, Ross and Isava
2008). …