School bullying is widely recognized as an international problem, but publications have focussed on the Western tradition of research. A long tradition of research in Japan and South Korea, and more recently in mainland China and Hong Kong, has had much less exposure. There are important and interesting differences in the nature of school bullying in Eastern and Western countries, as the first two parts of this book demonstrate. The third part examines possible reasons for these differences - methodological issues, school systems, societal values and linguistic issues. The final part looks at the implications for interventions to reduce school bullying and what we can learn from experiences in other countries. This is the first volume to bring together these perspectives on school bullying from a range of Eastern as well as Western countries.

'This is a lengthy but important volume which will appeal to students and researchers alike who are committed to developing their understanding of the phenomenon of bullying in schools. The many excellent chapters will frustrate those seeking quick interpretations and simple answers, but will provide many significant points to consider, especially for those from a Western tradition as they seek to make less hasty and more nuanced cross-cultural comparisons of research into school bullying.' Noel Purdy, Pastoral Care in Education

Peter K. Smith is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at the Unit for School and Family Studies in the Department of Psychology at Goldsmiths, University of London. Keumjoo Kwak is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at Seoul National University, South Korea. Yuichi Toda is a Professor at Osaka Kyoiku University (Osaka University of Education), Japan.