A Systemic Counseling Approach to the Problem of Bullying.

In recent years, the subject of bullying in school settings has received increased attention in the counseling literature. Neese ( 1989) described the psychological maltreatment of children by bullies and argued that school counselors have an ethical obligation to take action to protect victims from harm. Similarly, Hoover and Hazier (1991) and Roberts and Coursol (1996) documented the psychological intimidation and physical harm experienced by the victims of bullies and called for individual and family counseling designed to enhance the self-esteem, academic success, and peer relationship skills of the victims. In addition, Hoover and Hazier (1991) and Oliver, Oaks and Hoover ( 1994) recommended that school counselors work with the bullies themselves and their families to foster social behavior among the bullies. Finally, several authorities on the subject of bullying have suggested teacher education and policy measures designed to create a climate of safety for children and adolescents in school (e.g., Hoover & Hazier, 1991; Olweus, 1993; Remboldt, 1994a; Smith & Sharp, 1994). Collectively, these considerations indicate that a school-wide systemic approach to preventing and responding to bullying behavior is required to more fully assure that students are protected against acts of victimization by their peers. We contend that such an effort requires an in-depth orientation to the facts about bullying, and the creation of an organizational environment in which all school personnel discourage the menacing behaviors of bullies and intervene on the behalf of the victims. By describing a systemic approach, this article provides elementary school counselors with a multifaceted framework for addressing the vexing problem of bullying in schools. Throughout this article, bullying is defined as aggressive behavior that can be either verbal (threatening, humiliating, or degrading comments) or physical (hitting, pushing, holding, or hostile gesturing). A victim is defined as an individual who is exposed repeatedly to bullying behaviors on the part of one or more persons (Olweus, 1993).