Individual, contextual, relational? Towards a comprehensive approach to
bullying in prison
Bullying is known to be a widespread phenomenon in all kinds of social settings, with serious consequences for the individuals involved and their social environment. However, despite the growing attention to school and work settings, bullying in prisons has been left under-explored. This gap is particularly striking given the tense social climate in prisons, which affects both the emergence and continuation of bullying, and given the propensity of many prisoners to become bullying victim, offender, or both.
Therefore, this article explores the intersection between the phenomenon of bullying and the particular
features of the prison context. Based on 23 semi-structured interviews with prisoners and staff in a
Belgian prison, it is argued that the deprivation and importation factors present in prison do not only
trigger bullying, but also hamper effective solutions. Therefore, anti-bullying policy should address challenges at individual, institutional and relational level, and focus on victims, offenders and bystanders.