Italian Legislative Proposal of Criminalising Bullying

Abstract

The aim of this study is to understand if criminalising bullying is a solution to counter and prevent the phenomenon. The Italian legislative proposal of criminalisation offers hints to discuss about a general problem while underlining that the penal solution is not the answer to solve a complex social problem as bullying (and cyberbullying) is. The creation of a specific crime determines a simplification of the question because it concentrates the attention on the dyad bully-victim, without considering the essential role of the group. Taking into account the role of the group and the relationship between the bully and the group implies a systemic approach.