OBJECTIVE: To warn pediatricians about the high prevalence of bullying among students, to raise their awareness about the importance of their action in the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of possible damage to children's health and development, and about the necessity to instruct families and society on how to face the most frequent form of youth violence. SOURCE OF DATA: Bibliographic databases and relevant Internet sites were searched for recent articles and texts about the theme. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS: Aggressive behavior among students is a universal problem, traditionally accepted as natural and usually disregarded or not given proper attention by adults. Studies carried out during the past two decades showed that bullying can have immediate and late negative outcomes for children and adolescents who are directly or indirectly involved. The adoption of continued preventive programs in grade schools and in junior high schools has demonstrated to be one of the most effective measures for the prevention of alcohol and drug consumption and for the reduction of social violence. CONCLUSION: The prevention of bullying among students represents an essential public health measure that may allow for total children's development, qualifying them for a healthy and safe social coexistence.
School violence; juvenile violence
