South Africa has experienced soaring crime rates, high teenage suicide rates, and increasing levels of violence, including bullying. The current study surveyed various primary and secondary scientific sources on the problem of bullying in an effort to describe the prevalence of bullying in South Africa and the long-term effects of bullying on victims. Sources included newspaper extracts and personal stories solicited through a newspaper letter. Data were analyzed qualitatively using Morse and Field’s approach and extracts of personal stories are provided within the text. The analysis indicated that bullying is a pervasive problem in South Africa, which is consistent with other research findings in the field. Moreover, bullying is not limited to the school setting but also pervades families and workplaces. The long-term effects of bullying on victims seem to be severe and last well into adulthood; the lack of an encompassing strategy to combat bullying means that victims rarely receive the services they need. Recommendations are offered for future practice and include the development of codes of conduct and sets of school rules that are designed to curb bullying. More research is needed on all aspects of bullying given its prevalence and deleterious consequences for victims. Tables, endnotes, bibliography