Abstract:

Introduction:
Aggressive conduct in primary and secondary schools is a significant issue that has garnered considerable attention from researchers and scholars worldwide. School bullying, which takes place within the educational setting, is a form of aggression that involves repeated behavior from the perpetrator towards one or more of their peers and is characterized by an imbalance of power between the perpetrator and the victim. School bullying appears in various degrees and forms such as physical or verbal bullying, social exclusion and cyberbullying.

Purpose:
The present study focused on analyzing the victims’ profile and the forms of aggression experienced by the perpetrator, within primary and secondary Greek school settings. Specifically, the study aimed to investigate the prevalence of victimization and perpetration in primary and secondary Greek educational institutions as it is reported by educators and the prevailing sociodemographic characteristics of the victims. Moreover, the occurrence of various forms of aggression among students is reported, examining how these expressions vary based on the age or gender of the victim. Finally, the study investigated the strategies employed by teachers in response to bullying incidents and particularly how their interventions may differ based on the age of the perpetrator or victim.

Method:
A structured questionnaire was given to 247 educators of primary schools and to 163 educators of secondary schools in urban and rural areas of Greece. The teachers were asked to report the frequencies and forms of aggressive behaviors, observed during the school years 2021 – 2022 and 2022 – 2023, the victims’ sociodemographic characteristics, and the ways employed for dealing the bullying episodes.

Results:
The statistical analysis conducted revealed interesting results, such as a significant increase of the rate of victimization in the secondary sector and a correlation of key contributing factors, i.e. victim’s gender, low self – esteem, and academic achievement, with specific forms of aggression.

Conclusions:
In summary, the study aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of bullying dynamics in Greek schools, encompassing prevalence, characteristics, and educators’ responses in order to build targeted interventions. It is, also, important to note that understanding the nature of school aggression can contribute to the development of appropriate and efficient training programs for educators -necessary for the early detection of violent episodes that lead to victimization.

Keywords:

Aggressive behavior, victimization, school bullying, victim’s profile, Greek school settings.