I’m curious, what’s the basis for that claim? I’m surprised to learn that the constellation, incidence rate, and intensity of bullying behaviors don’t vary along sociocultural lines. Do you mean that there are no examples of areas or situations that have been more successful than others at addressing these kinds of youth behaviors?
Of course there is variance, but I'm not aware of any culture that doesn't have bullying in school. Many places generally applauded for being high-trust, harmonious adult societies (the Nordics, Japan, Australia etc) certainly have a problem with it.
Not to advance a position either way here but I will point out that Australia is not a counter example to the thesis that "bullying is ingrained in UK culture".
Canadian, Australian, and other Commonwealth colonies are heavily influenced in education practices by their UK roots.
Nordic countries and Japan make for better counter examples.
One of the best counter examples to the assertion that bullying and anger is ingrained in child rearing across the world might be:
How Inuit Parents Teach Kids To Control Their Anger
LOL since when is Australia seen as "high-trust, harmonious adult society"? It is very USA-like in many ways. And the nordics are hardly any different to anywhere else in Europe in that regard.
Says who? I happens all over the world, but it's hardly very common everywhere, to the degree we hear about it in US and UK. I was very minor and uncommon in my experience.