Bullying prevention: A call for collaborative efforts between school nurses and school psychologists

Bullying among children and adolescents is recognized as a significant global public health problem, as it has serious health consequences. Schools are important sites in which to address violence prevention, specifically bullying prevention, and to promote positive youth development. The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion outlines five action points (building healthy public policy, creating supportive environments, strengthening community actions, developing personal skills, and reorienting health services) that should be considered when creating a positive school climate focused on health promotion. Using the position statements of school nurses and school psychologists, we outline their complementary roles in bullying prevention and intervention. In addition, because the global and national school health models call for building partnerships and enhancing communication among professionals within the schools and with the community to achieve health goals, we discuss how these two professional groups can work collaboratively to address bullying as a school health issue.