Cross-national time trends in bullying behavior 1994-2006: Findings from Europe and North America

Objectives: To identify trends over 12 years in the prevalence
of bullying and associated victimization among adolescents in
North American and European countries.
Methods: Cross-sectional self-report surveys were obtained
from nationally representative samples of 11-15 year old
school children in 21 countries in 1993/94 and in 27 countries
in each of 1997/98, 2001/02 and 2005/06. Measures included
involvement in bullying as either a perpetrator and/or victim.
Results: Consistent decreases in the prevalence of bullying were
reported between 1993/94 to 2005/06 in most countries. Geographic
patterns show consistent decreases in bullying in Western
European countries and in most Eastern European countries.
An increase or no change in prevalence was evident in almost all
English speaking countries participating in the study (England,
Scotland, Wales, Ireland and Canada, but not in the USA).
Conclusion: Study findings demonstrated a significant decrease
in involvement in bullying behaviour in most participating
countries. This is encouraging news for policy-makers and
practitioners working in the field of bullying prevention