# Bullying Is Not a Matter of Character

- URL: https://alisanburak.com/en/zorbalik-bir-karakter-meselesi-degil
- Language: en
- Last updated: 2026-08-15
- Page title: Bullying Is Not a Matter of Character | Assoc. Prof. Dr. Alişan Burak Yaşar

> Nearly half of children who are bullied do not tell anyone. And talking to the school alone does not reduce victimization. In an analysis combining 116 stu

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# Bullying Is Not a Matter of Character

August 5, 2026Recent Articles

Nearly half of children who are bullied do not tell anyone. And talking to the school alone does not reduce victimization.
In an analysis combining 116 studies and 603,231 participants, one in four children and adolescents were victims of bullying. In a study of 6,202 students
in Türkiye, 33 percent reported traditional bullying victimization and 17 percent reported cyberbullying victimization. This is not a childhood phase. In the 1958 British
birth cohort, those who were frequently bullied as children had 1.95 times the risk of depression and 2.21 times the risk of suicidal ideation in middle age.

The critical finding for parents is this: in a study that followed 4,005 students across six waves, parents meeting with teachers did not significantly reduce subsequent victimization. The only variable that reduced it was parents’ communication with their children. This does not mean leaving the school out of the process. It means not neglecting the conversation at home while reaching out to the school. Anger also fuels advice to retaliate, while guilt fuels avoidance. First, slow down your own reaction; then listen without blame.

For institutions, the picture is clear. School-based programs reduce bullying perpetration by approximately 19 percent and victimization by approximately 15 percent. The effect is small
but meaningful at the population level. The strongest finding came from an unexpected source: in a randomized study conducted in 48 classrooms, there was no direct
intervention with students; only teachers received training in fostering a supportive classroom climate. Students who had been bystanders became defenders, and victimization decreased by 0.40 standard deviations. Implementation fidelity is also decisive. While the same program reduced victimization from 21.6 percent to 17.7 percent in one country, it produced no significant effect when lesson time and school-wide components were not adequately implemented.
Home alone is not enough. School alone is not enough.

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