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. 2023 Apr 19:1-10.
doi: 10.1007/s42380-023-00170-0. Online ahead of print.

Bullying and the Abuse of Power

Naomi C Z Andrews  1 , Antonius H N Cillessen  2 , Wendy Craig  3 , Andrew V Dane  4 , Anthony A Volk  1
Affiliations

Bullying and the Abuse of Power

Naomi C Z Andrews et al. Int J Bullying Prev. .

Abstract

Dan Olweus pioneered research on school bullying and identified the importance of, and risk factors associated with, bullying and victimization. In this paper, we conduct a narrative review of the critical notion of power within bullying. Specifically, we discuss Olweus's definition of bullying and the role of a power imbalance in distinguishing bullying behavior from other forms of aggression. Next, we discuss the changing nature of research on aggression (and the adaptiveness of aggression) throughout the years, the important role of power in these changes, and how the concept of power in relationships has helped elucidate the developmental origins of bullying. We discuss bullying interventions and the potential opportunities for interventions to reduce bullying by making conditions for bullying less favorable and beneficial. Finally, we discuss bullying and the abuse of power that extends beyond the school context and emerges within families, workplaces, and governments. By recognizing and defining school bullying as an abuse of power and a violation of human rights, Olweus has laid the foundation and created the impetus for researching and addressing bullying. This review highlights the importance of examining abuses of power not only in school relationships, but across human relationships and society in general.

Keywords: Abuse of power; Bullying; Dan Olweus; Power; School; Workplace.

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Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors has any competing interests to declare. This manuscript was not supported by external funding. All of the authors contributed towards the ideas, writing, and editing of this manuscript with authorship determined by alphabetical order.

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