Bullying in Italian Schools

Abstract

A very large body of international studies supports the world-wide concern with the issue of school bullying. Literature in this field is currently divided between analysis of the phenomenon‘s different characteristics and evaluation of various intervention programmes in schools. At the same time, teachers, parents and media are acquiring more and more awareness about the problem and this is leading to a growing request for more effective action. This article presents an overview of published intervention/ prevention programmes carried out in Italian schools in the last decade. For the sake of clarity, following an ecological approach, works have been distinguished according to the level at which they are focused on the school system. Success in reducing bullying and the limits of each intervention are critically considered.