Violence in primary schools in Serbia: Forms and prevalence

Abstract

A questionnaire study of 26,228 pupils of grades 3 through 8 in 50 primary schools across Serbia, conducted in spring 2006, indicated that in a three-month period, 65.3% of the pupils stated that they experienced some form of peer violence (the percentage varies by school, between 48% and 80%). An analysis of repeated violence cases identifies 20.7% of the pupils as victims, 3.8% as perpetrators of violence, and 3.6% as victims/perpetrators. Adult violence is reported by 35.7% of the pupils, while 42% have witnessed verbal aggression of pupils towards teachers. The most frequent forms of peer violence reported were insults (45.6%) and plotting (32.6%). Boys declared themselves as perpetrators of violence somewhat more frequently than girls, and they were somewhat more often exposed to peer and adult violence. Older pupils were more frequently violent and more often reported adult violence, while age differences in exposure to violence were minimal. .Istrazivanje sprovedeno pomocu upitnika na 26,628 ucenika od 3. do 8. razreda u 50 osnovnih skola sirom Srbije u prolece 2006. godine pokazalo je da je u periodu od tri meseca 65.3% ucenika, sudeci po njihovim izjavama, dozivelo neki oblik vrsnjackog nasilja (procenti se zavisno od skole krecu od 48% do 80%). Ako se analiziraju slucajevi ponovljenog nasilja, onda se 20.7% ucenika moglo klasifikovati u zrtve, 3.8% u nasilnike i 3.6% u zrtve/nasilnike. Na nasilje odraslih zalilo se 35.7% ucenika, a 42% ucenika bili su svedoci verbalne agresivnosti ucenika prema nastavnicima. Najcesci oblici vrsnjackog nasilja bili su vredjanje (45.6%) i spletkarenje (32.6%). Decaci su se nesto cesce od devojcica izjasnjavali kao nasilnici i nesto cesce su bili izlozeni nasilju vrsnjaka i odraslih. Stariji ucenici su cesce bili nasilni i cesce su se zalili na nasilje odraslih, dok su uzrasne razlike u izlozenosti nasilju bile minimalne. .