Portugal

Abstract

Basic education in Portugal is from 6 to 14 years: ages 6 to 9 in the first cycle or primary, ages 10 to 11 in the second cycle or preparatory, and ages 12 to 14 in the third cycle. A specific feature in Portugal is the grade retention scheme, whereby (at least until recently) many pupils are retained in a grade for one or more years if they underachieve in school. Bullying and aggression have been of concern in Portugal mainly in recent years, and especially since 1994, when a campaign against violence involving children was supported by the wife of the then President, Mrs Mario Soares. The Prodignitate Foundation has supported work against such violence. Initiation rituals in schools are a particular instance of violence and bullying behaviours. A survey of the extent of bullying, using a modified Olweus Questionnaire, was carried out in 1993 in Braga, in the north of the country. Eighteen schools and about 6200 pupils took part. Over 20 per cent of pupils reported being bullied, and over 15 per cent reported bullying others (more boys than girls). Typical sex differences were obtained. The playground was the most frequent location for bullying. An analysis of predictive factors showed that grade retention was a predictor of being involved in bullying. Similar findings have since been obtained from a survey in the Lisbon area. Some teacher training and intervention work is currently being carried out in some of the Braga schools.