How long before it hurts? An investigation into long-term bullying

Long-term bullying is an area which has not been specifically investigated. Yet, its consequences and susceptibility to change may be very different f rom short-term bullying episodes. This article sets out to look at some of the issues involved and draws on the findings of two studies, both of which have relevance to the phenomenon of long-term bullying. The first findings are those of a follow-up study which looked at the progress of anti-bullyi ng policies in secondary schools. The second findings are from a pilot stud y which investigated students' feelings about long-term bullying. The outco mes of these studies suggest that a small percentage of students may be bul lied for a long period of time and that this more persistent bullying may n eed focused, long-term solutions to resolve it.