Adolescence, one of the most difficult periods of our lives, is a process that develops the ability to cope with various problems. School life represents an important period in many people's lives. Considering that during school years, students spend most of their days at school and with their peers, experiences at school and the experiences gained here have an important role in human life in the future (Demirci, 2017).
According to Koç (2004; act. Gür, 2019), a person goes through 4 periods during their life, such as childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age. The physiological and psychological changes occurring in each of these periods are different. Adolescence is the stage between the end of childhood and adulthood. Among the main themes of adolescence are physical changes, differences in social interactions, and emotional processes.
Demirtaş (2007) and Pinar (2020) highlight the importance of communication and acceptance among teenagers for their socialization. However, rebellion during adolescence can lead to difficulties in socialization and increased aggression. Atalay (2010) emphasizes the need for schools to be safe environments for the future generation. Olweus (1993) defines peer bullying as the frequent repetition of negative behavior by students. The purpose of schools is to educate children and prepare them for the future, but violence, bullying, and psychological oppression are increasing. To address these issues, schools must prioritize a safe environment and address the challenges faced by teenagers.
Bullying in schools is influenced by various factors such as country, culture, age, and student diversity. Factors such as personality traits, peer group, family and cultural characteristics, school type, class size, and teacher behavior also contribute to bullying. According to Leach, bullying negatively impacts students' academic performance and physiological and psychological health. Gursoy (2010) highlights the constant stress experienced by victims. Social support, provided without reciprocation, can help reduce stress. Medical staff, such as doctors, psychologists, consultants, and nurses, should be responsible for addressing bullying. Arslan and Savaşer (2009) emphasize the importance of identifying the cause of bullying and preventing it by involving professional medicine and school staff to reduce the harm caused by bullying behaviors.
Adolescense
Adolescence comes from the Latin word "adolescere", which means "to grow", "to develop", or "to grow into adulthood". The definition of adolescence in the dictionary published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) is "a period that begins with psychosocial and sexual maturation, which is paved by emotional and physical development, and is characterized by rapid psychological, physical and social changes, when the individual gains social independence, and ends at an uncertain time”.
Adolescence is divided into 3 periods according to psychosocial classification: early adolescence between 11-14 years old, middle between 15-17 years old, and late adolescence between 18-21 years old.
Changes and psychological indications during adolescence
From childhood to adolescence, the individual can draw logical conclusions and question their parents. Differences in expectations and friendships and physical changes in their body occur together. In particular, the desire to learn the reason for any behavior and relationships from him causes the individual to be questioned by his environment during this period. Adolescents who do not have a healthy relationship with their parents react differently to changes in their physical appearance (Santrock, 2012).
According to Derman (2008; act. Gür, 2019) adolescence, 12-14 years, is a crucial period for identity, and belonging, with girls experiencing these changes faster. It is also a time of rapid abstract thinking, with the age of 11 marking the beginning of abstract operations. According to Piaget's theory of cognitive development, this period is the period of abstract operations from the age of 11.
Adolescents' biological precocious maturation can lead to problems such as social distancing and low self-esteem (Casey, Jones, & Somerville, 2011). Such problems in adolescence lead to personality problems. This situation prevents teenagers from building harmonious relationships and has a bad effect on their academic performance at school. Since these situations have a very high impact on the biological development of the adolescent and the formation of the personality, the adolescent's inability to perceive the changes correctly leads to depression and failure in social relations (Syed, 2010; act. Gür, 2019).
Adolescence and School Life
According to Dolgin (2008) (act. Gür, 2019), young people spend most of their youth in school, influenced by friends and teachers. Academic success is seen as economic freedom, and obtaining a diploma is essential for a comfortable life, providing social utility and academic benefits. According to Trumbull et al. (2001), school is an important place to meet and interact with peers during adolescence, and after family life.
Adolescents often drop out of school due to negative school experiences, including bullying, ostracization, isolation, financial struggles, poor academic performance, and difficulty adapting to new environments. Culturally connected adolescents may also experience dropout rates in their families and environments, limiting their opportunities for education and training. (Dolgin, 2008).
Bullying
Bullying is a global issue affecting children and adults, affecting schools and other physical environments. It affects all ages, genders, ethnicities, religions, and socio-economic statuses, threatening the physical and psychosocial health of children and young people (Arslan and Savaşer, 2009). According to Rigby (2002), bullying is defined as repeated psychological or physical violence by a more powerful person or people against a less powerful person. Bullying is a type of aggression that intentionally and often causes physical, psychological, and social harm to a student or group of students who are powerless and powerless to defend themselves (Bosworth and Espelage, 1999). There is a physical and psychological power imbalance between the bullied individual and the bully, including physical, oral, relational, and cyberbullying (Uludaşdemir, 2017). Power inequality means that the bullied person is unable to defend himself against the bully (Rigby, 2020; cited in Sahin, 2021). Intentional harm refers to the bully's desire to deliberately inflict pain on the other person, and psychologically and physically harm him. Harmful behaviors also include actions that will hurt a person, such as spreading rumors, acting with ugly gestures and facial expressions, leaving the group alone, damaging their belongings, and threatening (Pishkin, 2002; act. Sahin, 2021). Perpetuation of the behavior means that the victim is targeted more than once (Smith and Brain, 2000) and that the bullying continues for some time (Rigby, 2000) (cited by Sahin, 2021). According to Olweus, for a behavior to be called bullying, there must be a power imbalance between the bully and the victim, and the behavior must be repeated and intentional.
According to Bandura's social learning theory, the social environment has both direct and indirect effects on the formation of bullying, as bullying proceeds through the interaction of environmental factors. Direct impact; children learn the model of aggressive behavior from peers and adults, and indirect influence; is to accept and assimilate perceptions, and tendencies (Albrektsen, Gvarnstom, & Natvig, 2001).
Types of bullying
Bullying behaviors are divided into direct and indirect bullying (Olweus, 1999). Physical (hitting, pushing, kicking, spitting) and oral (swearing, insulting, calling names, humiliating, mocking) - really; social-relational (social isolation) is perceived as indirect bullying behavior. According to Arslan and Savaşer (2009), it is reported that more boys are exposed to direct bullying, more girls to indirect bullying, physical bullying is more common in lower classes, and oral bullying is more common as one goes up to the upper class.
Elliot (1997) divided the types of bullying into four parts: oral, emotional, sexual, and physical bullying. Actions such as giving nicknames to the victim, and gossiping behind their back are oral bullying; emotional bullying by isolating the bullied child from the group; trying to touch, behavior that will disturb girls; physical actions such as punching, kicking, slapping, pulling hair are examples of physical bullying.
Peer bullying
Although positive experiences in peer relationships promote individual development, negative actions exposed by peers can open deep wounds in an individual. The impact of the negative situations encountered during adolescence, which is a critical period in the individual's development, can manifest itself even in the years to come (Gökler, 2007 act. Çetinkaya, 2022). The first scientific work on peer bullying was done by Olweus. Peer bullying, also known as peer abuse, is defined as persistent and intentional harmful behavior by students or groups of students against a child or adolescent who is unable to defend themselves. Peer bullying is seen as physical (pushing, kicking, hitting), oral (threatening, teasing, teasing), and relational (singing, spreading rumors about) (Olweus and Limber, 2010). In peer bullying, teenagers play three roles: victim, bully, and bully/victim. Bully people - people who start bullying and are leaders; victims - persons subjected to violence; bully/victim - both those who are bullied and those who do the bullying (Karatoprak and Özcan, 2017; act. Özbey, 2019).
Bullying among adolescents during school period
The middle school period is an important transitional period when the first step from childhood to adulthood is taken. One of the biggest problems encountered in this period is bullying problems that damage peer relationships (Metin Aslan, 2013). During the school years, the individual is in early adolescence in terms of development, and in this period, the adolescent is in a critical period in terms of physical, emotional and social changes in terms of development (Vernon, 1999; act. Chetinkaya, 2022). Bullying behaviors are behaviors that affect all students, not just the victim and the bully.
The impact of negative experiences experienced by the individual in childhood manifests itself in adolescence. If the child's temperament is aggressive, negative experiences such as violence and neglect in the family and social environment can play a role in the child becoming a bully (Dölek, 2002). Garrett (2003) states that the biggest reason behind bullying is temperament. In addition, it states that students who are physically and verbally bullied have hyperactive and impulsive behaviors (Chetinkaya, 2022). Adolescents use bullying as a means to establish dominance within their peer group (Pellegrini, 2002). By bullying, the teenager thinks that he will prove his strength to others and take a more important position in their eyes, or if he is bullied, he acts as a bully to others because it disappoints him (Karataş and Öztürk, 2009; act. Chetinkaya, 2022).
Impact of bullying on adolescent psychology
People who bully generally have the characteristics of being strong and aggressive, domineering, callous, lacking empathy, and antisocial. Studies have shown that some bullies have high social intelligence and leadership qualities. Some researchers have divided bullies into two parts: socially compatible bullies and marginal bullies (Swearer and Hymel, 2015; act. Chetinkaya. 2022).
Parents play a crucial role in raising children, but a family environment lacking emotional needs, violence, and negative role models can lead to brutality and bullying. (Gökler, 2009). In the family environment, the way parents behave and talk to each other has positive or negative effects on the child. If there is love and respect between the parents, it will have a positive effect on the child's sense of confidence. However, the opposite leaves negative effects on the child and can cause the child to establish negative relationships with others (Avcı, 2006; act. Chetinkaya, 2022). If a child is neglected and unloved by their parents, they will know the world as an unsafe place. Oppression, violence, and bullying cause the child to feel worthless and humiliated (Dölek, 2002).
The negative effects of bullying on students, which are common in schools, make bullying even more difficult (Atik, 2009). Bullying behaviors can leave long-term and permanent scars on the victim. Victims' sense of trust in themselves and those around them is damaged. They think they don't deserve happiness, and even if they succeed, they can't be happy about it. They may experience social adaptation problems such as socializing and building healthy relationships (Gun, 2017). Students who are bullied at school have feelings of fear and anxiety about school (Genç, 2007; Pishkin, 2002). Problems such as sleep problems, feelings of guilt, trauma, stress and depression are observed in the victims (Tanrıkulu, 2015; act. Chetinkaya, 2022).
REFERENCES
1. Arslan, S.Ö., Savaşer, S. (2009, oktyabr). Okulda zorbalık. Milli eğitim dergisi, 39, 1-10.
2. Atalay, A. (2010). Akran Zorbalığı Gösterme ve Akran Zorbalığına Maruz Kalmanın Cinsiyet, Yaş, Sosyoekonomik Düzey, Anne-Baba Tutumları, Arkadaş İlişkileri ve Benlik Saygısı İle İlişkisi. Dicle Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Psikoloji ABD, Yayınlanmamış Doktora Tezi, Diyarbakır.
3. Avcı, M.(2006). Ergenlikte toplumsal uyum sorunları. Atatürk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 7(1),39-64.
4. Aytekin, Ö. A, Köse S. Adölesan sağlığına giriş. İçinde: Çelebioğlu A (editör), Adölesan Sağlığı ve Hemşirelik Yaklaşımları. 1. Basqı, Türkiye Klinikleri; 2019: 1-8.
5. Çetinkaya, F. (2022). Okulda zorbalık ölçeği: Geçerli ve güvenilir bir ölçek geliştirme çalışması. (Yüksek lisans tezi). Gaziantep Üniversitesi, Gaziantep, Türkiye.
6. Demirci, E. (2017). 11-15 yaş arası ergenlerde okul yaşamı zorbalığı ve siber zorbalığın bazı demografik özellikler açısından incelenmesi. (Yüksek lisans tezi). Nişantaşı Üniversitesi, İstanbul, Türkiye.
7. Dolgin, K. G. (2008). Ergenlik Psikolojisi: Gelişim, İlişkiler Ve Kültür (D. Özen, 2014, Tərc.). İstanbul: Kaknüs.
8. Dölek, N. (2002). Öğrencilerde zorbaca davranışların araştırılması ve bir önleyici program modeli. (Yayımlanmamış Doktora Tezi), Marmara Üniversitesi, İstanbul, Türkiye.
9. Espelage, D. L. ve Holt, M. K. (2003). Bullying and victimization during early adolescence: Peer influences and psychosocial correlates. Journal of Emotional Abuse.
10. Farrer, M. (2006). Violence against children in school and educational settings. Vıolence Agaınst Chıldren In Educatıon Settıngs In South Asıa, UNİCEF.
11. Gürsoy, E. (2010). Ergenlerde sosyo demografik özelliklere ve algılanan sosyal destek ile akran zorbalığına maruz kalmanın incelenmesi (Yüksek Lisans tezi). Yükseköğretim Kurulu Ulusal Tez Merkezi’nden edinilmiştir. (Tez No.278760)
12. Leach F. (2005). Learning to be violent; The role of the school in developing adolescents. Gendered Behavior, Compare. 33 (3), 385–400.
13. Olweus D. (1993) Bullying at School: What we Know and What we Can Do. Cambridge MA: Blackwell; 8-13.
14. Olweus D, Limber SP. Bullying in school: Evaluation and dissemination of the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program. AJO, 2010; 80: 124-134.
15. Rıgby, K. (2000). Effects of peer victimization in schools and perceived social support on adolescent well being, Journal of Adolescence, 23: 57-68
16. Rigby, K. (2002). New perspectives on bullying. London, UK: Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
17. Santrock, J. W. (2012). Ergenlik (G. Yüksel. Tərc.). Ankara: Nobel Akademik Yayıncılık.
18. Smıth, P. K, Braın, P (2000). Bullying in schools: Lessons from two decades of research. Aggressive Behavior, 26: 1–9.
Written by Aydan Mammadova
