The Role of School Social Workers in Managing Bullying in Secondary Schools in Oyo State

Bullying in secondary schools is an increasingly recognised form of peer victimisation with significant short-term and long-term consequences for mental health, academic performance, and school belonging. This study investigates the role of school social workers in managing bullying in secondary schools in Oyo State, South West Nigeria, drawing on data from selected schools in Ibadan and Ogbomosho. Using a descriptive survey approach, 120 respondents including students, school social workers, and teachers are surveyed through structured questionnaires. Data are analysed with frequencies, percentages, and chi-square tests. The study finds that physical, verbal, and cyberbullying are prevalent in the sampled schools, with male students reported as more frequently perpetrating physical and verbal forms of bullying. School social workers intervene through counselling, mediation, peer support programmes, and parent engagement, but many schools operate without a dedicated social worker and rely on teachers with no social work training to manage bullying cases. Recommendations include mandating social work posts in all public secondary schools, training school social workers in evidence-based anti-bullying interventions, and developing school-wide anti-bullying policies with clear reporting and response mechanisms. Keywords: bullying, school social workers, secondary schools, Oyo State, peer victimisation