| Contents |
The nature, scope, and response to school bullying -- Deterrence, rational choice, and victimization theories -- Micro-level theories -- Social structure theories -- Social process theories -- Critical criminology and restorative justice -- Integrationist, life course, and developmental theories. |
| Abstract |
"We hope to provide a broad overview of how criminological theory can enlighten our understanding of school bullying. Given the conflict between the massive amount of academic work about school bullying on the one hand, as noted above, and our space limitations on the other hand, we are not able to delve deeply into all aspects of the phenomenon. We also note that research applying criminological theory to school bullying is a relatively recent development (picking up around 2008 or 2009), and so we do our best to fill in gaps in the literature when necessary. We also include research that was not explicitly criminological but which appears to mirror or invoke criminological theories or principles. We also provide an overall impression of the utility of criminological theory to explain school bullying. We have designed the chapters to be read in conjunction with corresponding chapters in criminology textbooks, but the book also stands alone. Given this focus, we have attempted to devote relatively less space on descriptions of theory and more to applications of it. Chapter 1 offers an overview of school bullying, describing its nature and extent, definitional and measurement issues and challenges, how the phenomenon has been socially constructed, and various methods of response and prevention. The chapter ends with a brief discussion of the social-ecological model. Chapters 2 through 7 apply criminological theories. Chapter 2 discusses victimization, lifestyle, and deterrence theories. Chapter 3 considers individual-level (micro) theories at the biosocial and psychological level. Chapter 4 discusses social structure theories, including social disorganization, strain, and subcultural theories. Chapter 5 looks at social process theories, including social learning, social control and social reaction (or labeling). Chapter 6 explores various critical theories such as feminist theory and critical race theory. Chapter 7 addresses integrated, developmental, and life course theories as well as the social-ecological view that incorporates "nested" levels of theory (i.e., micro to macro). Each of these chapters also includes a discussion of the policy implications that emerge from the theories covered and a Policy Box that asks readers to apply theoretical constructs to school bullying response and prevention"-- Provided by publisher. |
