International Collaborations

In their national and international research the CAPER Directors and colleagues  from around the globe  have addressed the issues of bullying, mental health and wellbeing. Countries in which the CAPER Directors have worked and researched the topics of bullying and wellbeing are identified in the global map here.  Additionally some of their research is summarised in the text ‘’Wellbeing, Positive Peer Relations and Bullying in School Settings (Slee & Skrzypiec, 2016).  In this text they have highlighted the challenges associated with describing and defining well-being & bullying .  The concept of wellbeing  is as old as time. And yet all too often the currency of the term is mis-understood and abused although perhaps the fact that it is so widely used is some recognition of how pivotal it is to our very existence. In their book the authors have documented the struggle to understand the terms and in capturing some of its essence to then understand how it can best be applied to our betterment. 

 

In the same text in a related fashion Slee & Skrzypiec have also addressed the challenge of understanding a feature of human relationships- bullying- which of itself is as old as are human relationships. For example in a comprehensive overview of the concept Koo (2007) noted that first recorded description of Korean bullying was to be found in the Chosun dynasty (1392-1910), where it is called Myunsinrae. Apart from the physical and verbal bullying that is documented Koo (2007, p.111) notes that “The most often used form of Myunsinrae was ‘playing invisible coat’ in which assaulters considered victims as someone who did not exist”.