BULLIES AND THEIR VICTIMS - UNDERSTANDING A PERVASIVE PROBLEM IN THE SCHOOLS

School violence traditionally has been defined in terms of acts of ass ault, theft, and vandalism. However, a lesser but more frequent form o f violence, ''bullying,'' affects 15% to 20% of all students in school s today. The National Education Goals Panel has indentified creating s chool environments that are free from violence as one of the national goals. This goal cannot be achieved unless the issue of bullying is ad dressed directly by school systems in the United States. This article discusses the characteristics of bullies and their victims, school and family factors that affect the development of the bully/victim experi ence, and the school system responses to bullying. Finally, components of a comprehensive intervention plan for bullying are provided.