Peer aggression (bullying) in an Education Centre in Montevideo
A study of frequencies in students at high risk
Abstract
Frequencies of young people with upper scores in the peer aggression scale, that means a population at high risk, using an adapted, factorized and validated scale, were studied. The population study includes 607 highschool students from 11 to 17 years old. Responses to the scale have shown youth attitudes and their social environment related to aggression as well as their mocking, intimidating and fighting behaviors according to sex and age.
The findings are consistent to iterature but also give new insights. Boys show a higher tendency to fisical and verbal aggressive behavior and lower impulse control comparing to girls. They double girls in physical fights and mocking their peers. In terms of external influences, conciliatory attitudes of adults are more accepted by girls while boys tend to establish relationships with transgressors.
Many identified dimensions increase according to age: tendency to establish relationships with transgressors, facilitating attitude towards aggression, lack to manage aggression, mocking, and at the same time, solidarity behaviors. Youths older than 15 years are less open to moderative calls from adults.
The study contributes to use a wide range of tools in the health and education fields as well as the individual, familiar and community levels.
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