Bullying and Victimization in Cyprus: The Role of Social Pedagogy

• Main Authors: Militsa Nikiforou, Stelios N Georgiou, Panayiotis Stavrinides
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: UCL Press 2015-01-01
• Series: International Journal of Social Pedagogy
• Online Access: https://ucl.scienceopen.com/hosted-document?doi=10.14324/111.444.ijsp.2015.v4.1.004

Bullying is a worldwide concern that affects negatively a significant minority of children. Over the past thirty years, a growing amount of empirical and theoretical work has been accumulated in the relevant literature. Researchers in Cyprus have focused on the causes and the prevalence of bullying, and have investigated numerous related factors (i.e. temperamental, relational, and contextual factors). In this paper, we will bring together recent empirical studies and theoretical work in order to draw a comprehensive picture of bullying in Cypriot schools. Our main objectives are to discuss local and international data on bullying; to analyze cross-cultural similarities and differences; to reflect on major issues related to bullying such as the psychosocial profiles of bullies, victims, and bully/victims, the causal factors and the consequences of bullying and victimization. Finally, we will discuss the role of the school, and particularly what is known as social pedagogy in preventing phenomena such as these from happening in our schools and our communities.