Research topic/aim: Although previous studies on school bullying have recognized several aspects as significant for anti-bullying interventions in schools, there is still a need for more knowledge about how aspects beyond the individuals directly involved in bullying situations can contribute to underpinning bullying interactions. In this study, I address this need for additional knowledge by discussing school staff's reflections on how school loneliness and bullying relate to exo- and macrosystem aspects, such as perceptions of the distribution of responsibility between pupils, teachers, and principals in Swedish elementary schools.

Theoretical framework: In this study, I draw on a system theoretical perspective to school staff's reflections on school loneliness and bullying. The findings are analyzed using Bronfenbrenner's (1979) ecological model, with a particular focus on how school loneliness and bullying can be understood as phenomena affected by several intertwined layers or systems. As has been pointed out elsewhere, education policy in Sweden (as in other countries) has shifted focus and changed over the last decade or so. This applies, for example, to teaching patterns, working methods, and perceptions of "what education is, what education is for and how education should be shaped" (Dahlstedt & Fejes, 2019b, p. 2). In this study I discuss these changes at the exo- and macrosystem level as significant for understanding school loneliness and bullying.

Methodological design: The present study is part of an ongoing research project with a focus on school staff's reflections on school loneliness and bullying in Swedish schools. The data has been analyzed inductively and thematically (Braun & Clarke, 2006), with particular focus on what is suggested to be the school staff's “main concerns” related to their experiences of working with school loneliness and bullying (Charmaz, 2014).

Expected conclusions/findings: The findings suggest a complex intertwined picture within which school staff on the one hand highlight micro- and meso-system aspects of anti-bullying work, such as the importance of classroom leadership, relationships and collaboration with colleagues and parents. On the other hand, they emphasize the perceived importance of exo- and macro-system aspects, such as perceptions of the division of responsibilities between pupils, teachers, and principals. Taken together, the findings point to a tension between school staff struggling with prevention in day-to-day work and the seemingly overlooked aspects of a school system which seemingly presupposes a certain type of pupil; one who can establish and maintain their social relationships, and who can manage the context in which they find themselves.

Relevance to Nordic educational research: The findings discussed highlight the importance of more thoroughly considering the exo- and macrosystem level to school loneliness and bullying. The findings are significant for school staff and school policy makers who work preventively with school loneliness and bullying, both in Sweden andin Nordic educational contexts. Not least, the findings can also have great significance for the pupils who experience loneliness and bullying atschool more or less daily.