The Future of Education
Adolescents’ and Teachers’ Perception of School Bullying
Małgorzata Wójcik, University of Social Sciences and Humanities (Poland)
Piotr Rycielski, University of Social Sciences and Humanities SWPS (Poland)
Radoslaw Kaczan, University of humanities and Social Sciences SWPS (Poland)
Karolina Malinowska, University of Social Sciences and Humanities SWPS (Poland) (Poland)
Abstract
Bullying is a phenomenon present in all schools worldwide, with as many as 35% of students being involved in bullying [1]. Group and school context is crucial for understanding and preventing bullying, as peers are present in about 80% of bullying situations and have key roles in maintaining, preventing, or stopping it.[2] The aims of this study were to investigate school bullying as a social phenomenon and to understand how Polish adolescents and their teachers perceive, discuss, and make sense of bullying in their communities. It was also important to find out why students are hesitant to report bullying, both victims and witnesses.
Fieldwork was carried out at public primary and secondary schools in Poland. In-depth semi-structured interviews with 80 students (aged 13 to 16 years old) and 80 teachers were conducted.
The interview data were then analyzed with a thematic analysis [3]. The results show a complex picture of cultural patterns, power struggles, social hierarchies, exclusion processes, inter and intra group relations. They also present difficulties that students have when reporting bullying and teachers when trying to intervene.
In terms of policy implications, the findings suggest that it could be beneficial to plan anti-bullying programs with adolescents and teachers, as they could clarify the contexts, situations, or triggers that might lead to bullying. It is necessary to built and impellent systems which would allow students to report bullying cases in an easy and safe way.
Keywords: Relational and cyber bullying, peer group exclusion bullying prevention, reporting bullying.
References:
[1] Wójcik, M., & Kozak, B. (2015). Bullying and exclusion from dominant peer group in Polish middle schools. Polish Psychological Bulletin, 46, 2–14. https://doi.org/10.1515/ppb-2015-0001.
[2] Thornberg, R. (2017). School bullying and fitting into the peer landscape: A grounded theory field study. British Journal of Sociology of Education, 39, 144–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2017.1330680
[3] Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2014). What can “thematic analysis” offer health and wellbeing researchers? International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-Being, 9, Article 26152. doi:10.3402/qhw.v9.26152
