The identification of teasing among students as an indispensable step towards reducing verbal aggression in schools

Abstract

Surveys have confirmed the ubiquity of aggression in schools, and verbal aggression is not an exception. The identification of teasing as a frequent form of verbal aggression is an indispensable step towards diminishing it. The purpose of this study was to investigate teasing among primary school students in Slovenia. The research showed that teasing is common in schools: the most usual forms of teasing refer to the students’ appearance, and the victims mostly report negative feelings after being teased. Most teasing was done to reciprocate, and the most frequent response to teasing was a verbal comeback. The research revealed some differences in teasing between students by sex and age and offers some useful implications for practice.

Keywords:

• bullying
• democratic school
• verbal aggression
• teasing