Revista Internacional de Educación para la Justicia Social (Jun 2013)
Peer Support Competence to avoid Bullying in School
Abstract
This piece of research is located within the context of concern for peer violence, looking for prevention strategies. The investigation has a two-fold objective. First, this study aims to explore the way in which 10 to 14-year old boys and girls perceive their responsibilities for helping others. Second, it aims to analyze how they respond to aggression at school (direct, relational, cyberaggression). The sample group comprised 1018 students and the research design was cross-sectional As regards method, the data collection procedure was carried out by means of two questionnaires. An ad hoc questionnaire was developed to explore the degree to which the culture of caring for others. In the second questionnaire, students were asked to put themselves in the position of classmate who witnesses it, and five possible coping responses were given: passive, negative reciprocity, assertiveness, seeking help and “others”. The results, based on the analyses carried out using SPSSS (ANOVAS), reveal significant differences in accordance with age and gender. The results showed, firstly, that mean scores for helping in the school environment were lower in relation to immigrants, new students in the group or people with a physical disability. Significant gender differences were also found in all the areas analyzed. Girls scored higher than boys in responsibilities (p<.001). Moreover, the results also revealed that the distance between boys and girls increased in secondary school. Paradoxically, there is an increase in negative coping strategies among older students, particularly boys. On the other hand we found that students use more positive coping strategies when they have more responsibilities
