School Bullying and The Legacy of Dan Olweus

The intellectual and personal history of the late Dan Olweus, a pioneer in the field of bullying management and prevention

School Bullying and the Legacy of Dan Olweus honours the work and legacy of Dan Olweus, a man generally seen as the “founding father” in the field of bullying management and prevention who initiated a shift in how society, educators, parents and professionals handle and keep track of the hostility that some children display.

This book explores how Olweus developed the first widely used questionnaire to survey the issue of bullying and victimisation (the Olweus Bullying Questionnaire, or OBQ), was instrumental in designing the first intervention campaign against school bullying in Norway in the 1980s and developed a multi-layered program of intervention, the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program (OBPP), which is used in many countries around the world.

This book also provides constructive criticisms of his work, as well as ways to build on his legacy to reduce the impact of bullying on children and young people.

Delivering a summative view of his contribution to this research area, School Bullying and the Legacy of Dan Olweus discusses topics including:

• Olweus' research and practical achievements over three main stages: first in Sweden, then in Norway and then in later years
• Uses, strengths and limitations of the OBQ and OBPP, the views of Olweus on cyberbullying and his influence in Japan and China
• The definition of bullying, bias-based bullying and research challenges around the assessment of interventions
• The view of the school as a complex adaptive system and the contribution of civil society and of laws and policies against bullying

Providing an expansive intellectual and personal history of a leader in the field, School Bullying and the Legacy of Dan Olweus is an essential read for all parents, educators, administrators, researchers and professionals seeking to understand and prevent bullying in schools around the world.