Participant role approach to school bullying: implications for interventions

This paper describes practical implications of the participant role approac h to bullying in schools. This view looks at bullying as a group phenomenon which is largely enabled and maintained by members of a school class takin g on different participant roles (such as assistants of the bully, reinforc ers of the bully, or outsiders). Since peels are involved in bullying in di fferent ways, and seem to be powerful moderators of behaviour in a school c lass, this "peer group power" should also be utilized in putting an end to bullying In interventions targeting the whole peer group it is peers that, after initial adult encouragement and training, take action against bullyin g. This happens informally, in their spontaneous everyday intractions. Peer s can also be utilized in formal helper roles, as peer counsellors. It is s uggested that the focus of counselling could be shifted from supporting the victims towards also working with students in other participant roles. (C) 1999 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.