The Strain of Bullying

Abstract

Bullying is a complex issue to understand and address for many school districts. The nature of bullying itself is not simple, and bullying comes in many forms; such as cyber, physical, and verbal. A full and comprehensive understanding of bullying can therefore enhance the effectiveness of responses to bullying. Relying on the criminological context and especially general strain theory, this project provides an overview of bullying and the relevant criminological thought. The principal objective of this paper is to use the findings of empirical research to evaluate general strain theory. The paper also provides policy recommendations for combatting bullying.