Abstract

Background: Bullying and aggressive behavior continue to create concern across communities as well as for parents, students and faculty within schools. Bullying routinely impacts children and youth. Many social sciences, education, and healthcare groups are interested in developing a standard definition for bullying and aggressive behavior and means to interrupt and change patterns. The purpose of the paper is to recommend a universal strategy to address bullying and aggressive behavior.
Methods: A review of the literature indicates universal school-based interventions are effective in reducing the type and level of bullying and aggressive behavior. Bibliotherapy can be considered a universal school-based intervention.
Results: Bibliotherapy has been utilized to modify patterns of behavior for the past 40 years. Bibliotherapy has been recommended as an effective means of transforming poor family dynamic, negative individual perception of self, addictive and destructive patterns of behavior, and conflict within community settings. In addition, bibliotherapy has been successful in altering the behavior of both bullies and victims. Therefore, bibliotherapy is recommended as a universal strategy in the elementary school setting.
Conclusions: Universal school-based interventions are effective. While there are many interventions that include the youth, families, communities, and schools to address the issue of bullying and victimization, bibliotherapy is ideal. The book series allows the child or youth to develop better skills at social interaction, effective problem-solving and empathy for others. Strategies and interventions that bring multiple points of contact to the child are more effective than a single strategy, such as punishing the bully. It is important for all involved in bullying activities, whether the instigator, the victim, or the observer to learn together how to function as a social group.