This book focuses beyond the bully-victim dyad to highlight how bullying commonly unfolds within a complex system that involves many individuals interacting with one another. As the vast majority of bullying episodes occur in front of a peer audience, this book examines the ways in which bystanders can act to either fuel or deter bullying. Each chapter highlights a particular participant role: bully, assistant, reinforcer, outsider, defender, and victim. Attention is also devoted to the important influence parents and teachers have on the peer ecology and bullying dynamics. By viewing bullying through the eyes of each individual role, the authors provide an in-depth exploration of bullying as a group process with special attention to implications for prevention and intervention. This book refreshes and expands our understanding of bullying as a group process by highlighting classic research while integrating new findings with attention to changing technology and the modernization of our society. It provides a unique resource that will appeal to teachers and educational psychologists in addition to researchers in the areas of psychology, public health, and education.

Lisa H. Rosen is Associate Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Psychology Program at Texas Womans University, USA. Her research focuses on childrens peer relations. Her recent work centers on how parents and teachers can best support victimized youth.

Shannon R. Scott is Professor and Department Chair of the Psychology and Philosophy Department at Texas Womans University, USA. Her research focuses on body image, weight stigma, and anti-fat attitudes as well as examining the consequences of peer victimization.