To Prevent Bullying, Focus on Early Childhood

To prevent bullying before it starts, we need to focus on how bullying behaviors develop--for those engaging in bullying behaviors and those being targeted--starting in early childhood. Child Trends recently conducted a literature review and convened an expert roundtable, which NAEYC took part in, to document current understandings of the roots of bullying in early childhood. We identified key contextual factors linked to bullying behaviors, promising, and evidence-based programs that help address emerging behavior and the need for further research.