Bullying is a serious behavior that negatively impacts the lives of tens of millions of adolescents across the world every year. The ubiquity of bullying, and its stubborn resistance toward intervention effects, led us to propose in 2012 that adolescent bullying might be an evolutionary adaptation. In the intervening years, a substantial amount of research has arisen to address this question. Therefore, the goal of this review is to consider whether evidence continues to support an evolutionary perspective that bullying is an adaptation that remains adaptive for some individuals in favorable contexts. In addition, we consider new ideas related to this hypothesis, explore how an evolutionary theory of bullying intersects with other influential perspectives, including ecological and social learning theories, and discuss applied implications for interventions. Our review of the evidence published since our 2012 paper provides very consistent and strong support for the hypothesis that adolescent bullying is, at least in part, an evolutionary adaptation that is currently adaptive regarding at least five evolutionarily relevant functions (the Five “Rs”): Reputation, Resources, deteRrence, Recreation, and Reproduction. We note that bullying is a facultative adaptation that is conditionally adaptive, subject to cost–benefit analyses. Finally, we discuss how an evolutionary theory of bullying frequently complements alternative theories of adolescent bullying rather than conflicting or competing with them. An interdisciplinary approach to bullying that includes evolutionary theory is thus likely to afford stronger options for both research and prevention efforts.

欺凌是一种严重的行为，每年对全球数千万青少年的生活产生负面影响。欺凌无处不在，以及它对干预效果的顽固抵抗，导致我们在 2012 年提出，青少年欺凌可能是一种进化适应。在随后的几年中，已经出现了大量的研究来解决这个问题。因此，本综述的目的是考虑证据是否继续支持进化观点，即欺凌是一种适应，在有利的环境中对某些个体仍然具有适应性。此外，我们考虑与这一假设相关的新想法，探索欺凌的进化理论如何与其他有影响力的观点相交叉，包括生态和社会学习理论，并讨论对干预措施的应用影响。我们对自 2012 年论文以来发表的证据的审查为以下假设提供了非常一致和强有力的支持，即青少年欺凌至少部分是一种进化适应，目前至少在五种进化相关功能（五个“Rs”）方面具有适应性：声誉、资源、威慑、娱乐和繁殖。我们注意到欺凌是一种兼性适应，是有条件的适应，需要进行成本效益分析。最后，我们讨论了欺凌的进化理论如何经常补充青少年欺凌的替代理论，而不是与它们发生冲突或竞争。