School Bullying: Teachers' perceptions

AuthorDorina Batalli
PositionUniversity of Tirana
Pages174-181
Vol. 1 No. 1
January 2017
European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences
IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria
ISSN 2519-1284
Acces online at www.iipccl.org
174
School Bullying: Teachers’ perceptions
Dorina Batalli
University of Tirana
Abstract
In our days, teachers face many challenges, not only related to teaching but also developing
professional competences as identifying and managing students con icts. Even students face
more than reading, writing or math at school. Many of them express to have participated
in various forms of bullying. Teachers should provide a healthy and comfortable school
environment and help their students not only to increase academic achievement but also to
manage their socio-emotional reactions and problem solving.
This study explores teachers’ de nitions and perceptions of incidents of bullying at a middle
school in Tirana through 15 in-depth interviews and using the constant comparative method
of analysis. It’s noted that the participants in this study de ned bullying as being both physical
and verbal, but no one identi ed emotional bullying. This last one is more di cult to be de ned
and addressed proactively in the way to reduce its occurrence. Bullies were characterized
as: students with behavioral problems, low academic achievement, numerous absences at
school and older than victims. While victims are quiet and shy, with average and over average
academic achievement. About witnesses, there were no description or de nitions; it was just
as they didn’t exist. As scenes of school bullying, the participants mentioned: school hallways,
gym and school yard. At this point is still necessary an anti-bullying program intervention,
especially with a social emotional focus, as a support for both students and teachers and also
to have more trained teachers who will be able to identify the various forms of school bullying
and reduce its occurrence.
Keywords: teacher; bullying; victim; bully; violence.
Introduction
School is a promoter of education for every student, so it must ensure learning
opportunities, safety environment and equality. Teachers and school administrators
should take care both for the student’s achievement and well being. Recently, a series
of severe events occurred in Albanian schools that have shocked not only students
and teachers but the whole community: bullying incidents. Many of these events
were media reported: a er a banal quarrel at school a student was seriously injured
with a knife by a peer; another peer who was stalked, commi ed suicide. This study
examines teachers’ de nitions and perceptions of incidents of bullying that they
witnessed, at a middle school of Tirana and the ways they’ve used to reduce it.
According to a study report carried out by "Save the Children" Foundation for Con ict
Resolution and Reconciliation of Disputes, it is shown that by 1435 children surveyed,
28% were involved in serious peer con icts in school, while 42% do not feel safe in
the classroom. According to the Ministry of Justice, in 2014 an increment of 8 % of
the con icts between students was reported. Kashahu and Karaj (2014) reported that
the lack of depth knowledge about bullying makes teachers and executives to hold

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