Conference paper

PEER VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS - VIOLENCE OR STYLE OF COMMUNICATION?

Nada Kosić Bibić ; Public Health Institute of Subotica, Subotica, Serbia
Jasmina Kovačević ; Public Health Institute of Pozega-Slavonia County, Pozega, Croatia

Abstract

Aim: Consider the presence of bullying in 11 secondary schools of North Backa Region.
Materials and methods: Within the framework of the project "Be different!" was conducted a pilot survey on the prevalence of bullying behaviour in schools and attitudes of teenagers. Anonymous and voluntary survey was conducted in March-May 2016. The survey instrument was a questionnaire with 11 questions. A sample was 489 high school students. Statistical analysis was done in the statistical program SPSS.
Results: Almost half (45%) of teenagers were victims of violence at school “during their schooling”, and 13% “during this school year”. Bullying was most often in the classroom (58.1%). More than 55% teenagers witnessed violence at school “during this school year”. Most usual form of behaviour was “mock and disdain” (71.8%), followed by “gossiping and spreading lies about someone” (54.4%) and “sending disturbing and offensive content on the internet/mobile phone” (15.3%). The largest number of teenagers believe that violence “doesn’t concern them and they don’t need to respond" (38%). Only 8% of teenagers reported violence “during this school year”, although 30% said they would always report the violence. Eight out of ten teenagers know to whom they should report violence in school. Every second teenager is for stricter punishment of bully, every third for the violence prevention programs, and every fourth for communication skills training.
Conclusions: This research suggests that the different forms of aggressive behaviour are highly present among teenagers. Worrying is the increase in aggression and violence as a model for solving problems among teenagers, high tolerance to such forms of behaviour, unrecognizing verbal violence and the absence of a real reaction. There is a need to conduct comprehensive violence prevention programs in all schools of North Backa Region as well as programs for the acquisition of communication skills for pupils and staff in schools.

Keywords

peer violence; bullying; aggression; teenagers

Hrčak ID:

218632

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/218632

Publication date:

31.12.2018.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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