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Call for papers - Bullying

Guest Editors

Javier Martín Babarro, PhD, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
Wanderlei Abadio de Oliveira, PhD, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Brazil

Submission Status: Open   |   Submission Deadline: 23 June 2025

BMC Psychology welcomes submissions to our Collection on Bullying. This Collection invites researchers to contribute their work on the multifaceted issue of bullying, encompassing its psychological impacts, the dynamics of cyberbullying, and effective intervention strategies. By advancing our understanding of bullying, we can foster resilience and promote mental well-being among affected populations. 

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. 

Meet the Guest Editors

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Javier Martín Babarro, PhD, Complutense University of Madrid, Spain

Dr Javier Martín Babarro is Associate Professor of Developmental and Educational Psychology at the Complutense University of Madrid. Over the past 20 years, he has focused his research work on analyzing peer relationships within classroom groups and developing tools to improve the social climate of educational centers. He is the co-author of the Sociescuela program, which is used by more than 1500 schools in Spain, and of the national study on school climate in secondary education.

Wanderlei Abadio de Oliveira, PhD, Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas, Brazil

Dr Wanderlei Abadio de Oliveira is Professor of the Graduate Program in Psychology at Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas. He is a psychologist with a PhD from the University of São Paulo in a joint program with the Doctoral Research School in Psychology at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart. Dr de Oliveira is Associate Editor of Estudos de Psicologia and Paidéia journals. His research focuses on human development, bullying, school violence, moral disengagement, family, adolescent health, social networks, and public policies. 

About the Collection

BMC Psychology is calling for submissions to our Collection on Bullying. We invite scholars and practitioners to contribute their latest research and insights into this pressing topic, which encompasses a range of behaviors and impacts extending across various social and developmental contexts.

This Collection aims to deepen our understanding of the mechanisms, consequences, and interventions related to bullying and their psychological ramifications. We seek contributions that explore the multifaceted nature of these behaviors, their prevalence, and their short- and long-term effects on mental health and well-being.
 
Subtopics of interest include, but are not limited to:

  • Psychological profiles of aggressors and victims
  • The impact on mental health and development
  • Cyber manifestations and digital environments
  • School, workplace, and community dynamics
  • Effective intervention and prevention strategies
  • Longitudinal studies on outcomes and resilience
  • Peer involvement and social network analysis.
  • Cross-cultural studies. 
  • Cultural, socioeconomic, and demographic influences
  • Policy implications and legislative frameworks


Our goal is to create a comprehensive and interdisciplinary dialogue that addresses the complexities of bullying. By bringing together diverse perspectives and methodologies, we hope to foster a holistic approach to understanding and mitigating the adverse effects associated with these behaviors.

We encourage submissions from a broad spectrum of disciplines including psychology, education, social work, and public health. Research that bridges gaps between theory and practice, and those that propose innovative solutions or interventions, are particularly welcome.

All manuscripts submitted to this journal, including those submitted to collections and special issues, are assessed in line with our editorial policies and the journal’s peer review process. Reviewers and editors are required to declare competing interests and can be excluded from the peer review process if a competing interest exists.

This Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being, SDG 4: Quality Education, and SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions. 

Image credit: © pololia / Stock.adobe.com

  1. Although defending self-efficacy is related to defending behavior in cyberbullying, little is known about the underlying mechanisms of this association. This study explored the relationship between defending s...

    Authors: Hong Chen, Yong Fang, Ling Wang, Yanjun Chen and Cuiying Fan
    Citation: BMC Psychology 2025 13:426
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original Research Articles. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select "Bullying" from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.