Nearly 160,000 students skip school each day because of intimidation by their peers. Bullying has been a persistent problem that, with the heightened attention to school violence, has been recently recognized as a pervasive issue needing attention. Bullying can take many forms; racial discrimination and sexual harassment are examples of abuse students can face. Child rearing influences, the characteristics of the child, and factors of the environment are cited as possible reasons why children bully. Most bullying occurs in the school environment so how schools respond to such interactions impacts the school climate. A whole school approach to the problem of bullying is recommended to establish an awareness of the problem. Increasing school safety features and insuring the anonymity of any student who reports bullying incidents are also encouraged. Empowering students by offering conflict resolution programs, peer help, and assertiveness training are just a few alternatives to improve the school environment. (Contains 10 references.) (JDM)