School Bullying and Educational Achievement: Literature Review Progress Report

The Department for Education has collected data on student wellbeing and achievement from the unique and large data base of 550 South Australian schools over a number of years. The aim of this study is to examine this data to determine whether students not involved in bullying nonetheless show diminished academic achievement when they attend schools where bullying, when compared to other schools, is more prevalent. This collaboration represents a unique opportunity to access data from every S.A. school and advance knowledge relating to the impact that school bullying has on the learning outcomes of not only students directly involved in bullying but importantly the whole peer cohort. Findings will inform future interventions to provide support for not involved students, who are indirectly harmed by the presence of bullying in their school. The aim is to improve their numeracy and literacy achievements, in accordance with the Department’s strategic plans.