Coping specificities in children and adolescent dealing with bullying behaviour
The aim of this review was to present the characteristics of coping strategies, and impact of bullying on the coping strategies chosen by children and/or adolescent victim to deal with the situation. This article involved an analysis of studies in coping strategies during bullying. Research databases were searched up until 2015 for studies relating to the investigation of any coping approach in children and adolescents involved in bullying. Studies that assess coping strategies through theoretical models suggest two types of strategies: 1) selfreliance/problem solving and seeking social support operacionalized as approach strategies and 2) distancing, externalizing and internalizing identified as avoidance approach strategies. Based on the conducted research we may conclude that the most commonly coping strategy in dealing with bullying utilizes the approach strategies. Additionally, we propose that considerable between-person variation in approach coping and avoidance coping may be predictable from gender and age characteristics. Based on the review we concluded that general trend in use of most coping responses is variable regarding the form of violence. A strategy of avoidance tends to be more prevalent in indirect forms of violence, seeking social support in situations of threats and verbal aggression and fighting back in physical aggression.