Citation

Smith DE, Kilpatrick CT. Glob. Stud. Child. 2022; 12(2): 134-146.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2022, SAGE Publishing)

DOI

10.1177/2043610617723736

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Childhood bullying is a grave breach of children's human rights and a serious public health issue. The phenomenon has warranted research attention in developed societies and shown to have serious short- and long-term implications for individuals, families, and society as a whole. This article provides an overview of the school bullying phenomenon in Jamaica. Using the scant data from that context, we conclude that there is a high prevalence of bullying in Jamaican schools. Furthermore, a separate body of literature, albeit meager, has indicated an elevated incidence of mental health challenges among Jamaican children. Taken together, there is a compelling need for comprehensive anti-bullying policies and programs to reduce the level of violence to which children are exposed and involved. We offer theoretical and data-driven anti-bullying suggestions that have proven useful in preventing and reducing bullying in schools, and perhaps ultimately the wider society.

Language: en

Keywords

Age Differences; Aggression; Bullying; Computer Mediated Communication; Cultural Influences; Environmental Influences; Family Environment; Foreign Countries; Gender Differences; Incidence; Individual Characteristics; Intervention; Mental Disorders; Mental Health; Neighborhoods; Prevention; Punishment; School Policy; Social Influences; Teacher Behavior; Verbal Communication; Victims; Violence