Peer aggression and bullying

Abstract

This chapter introduces the issue of peer aggression in schools and provides theory underlying the research on peer aggression and bullying. The purpose of the Peer Aggression and Well-being study was to look beyond bullying and assesses the harm to mental health and well-being of young people experiencing peer aggression in all its forms. The chapter discusses the issues and the direction most being advocated by researchers for an overhaul of bullying research practices. Bullying is a subset of peer aggression, although the definition of bullying is narrower than that of peer aggression. The disparity between researchers and study participants in terms of their understanding of what is meant by bullying can be overcome however, by providing a definition, a priori, of bullying before asking questions about it. The intention to harm another through an act of aggression is another criterion of the bullying definition accepted by scholars. © 2020 selection and editorial matter, Grace Skrzypiec, Mirella Wyra, and Eleni Didaskalou; individual chapters, the contributors.