Bullying, worrying proportions in Albania

A study carried out by psychologists and sociologists in some of the schools of the Shkodra District has highlighted the disturbing dimensions of the spread of the phenomenon of bullying. As Voice of America correspondent Pëllumb Sulo reports, 19.8 percent of students report that they have experienced bullying and that the most widespread form is cyberbullying. The study also highlights the need for clear strategies to combat this phenomenon in schools.

The study "Measuring the spread of the phenomenon of bullying in schools", carried out by a group of psychologists and sociologists of the psychosocial office in the regional educational directorate of Shkodra, shows the disturbing proportions that bullying in schools has taken.

The study is based on interviewing 1026 students and 573 teachers in 53 schools in the municipalities of Shkodra district. Psychologist Fatjon Taipi, participant in the study, says that the extent of the phenomenon is wide, while awareness of its consequences continues to be low.

"The phenomenon of bullying is very widespread in our schools. There are about 19.8% of students who state that, in certain episodes, they were victims of bullying. Meanwhile, on the other hand, it has a lot to do with awareness because only 5% of perpetrators who practice bullying admit it. And this inconsistency of figures shows the low level of awareness of actions, behaviors that students have with each other".

According to psychologist Suela Domnori, the data on the extent of bullying in schools can be even higher as it is noticed that some students are reluctant to report bullying in school environments.

"It is a figure that shows the spread of the phenomenon of bullying, it fits and is close to the findings of studies in Albania, but also outside Albania. Perhaps we could have other higher numbers, but we also have to consider the lack of student reporting or even perception issues. Is bullying always perceived as bullying, are all forms of bullying perceived?"

17 percent of bullying cases in schools, according to the study, belong to physical bullying, 18.55 percent to verbal bullying and 21.25 percent to social bullying. While the greatest spread, according to the psychologist Taipi, is cyberbullying, which is finding an increasingly wide spread through social networks.

"We have 43.5% who state that they are victims of cyberbullying, which is a new form of bullying and that the system is almost too fragile to respond to this phenomenon".

Of the 573 teachers interviewed, the majority, about 75 percent, express interest in solving the problems of bullying within the school. According to their perceptions, bullying often occurs during breaks between lessons, in group work, physical education lessons, but also during extracurricular activities in the school yard, creating a difficult situation for managing the learning process.

The study, says psychologist Domnori, on the spread of the phenomenon of bullying in schools emphasizes the need for clear policies for its elimination as well as the need to increase the competences of anti-bullying teams in schools.

"Undoubtedly, bullying has consequences, it leaves a mark on children's development, and we are also emphasizing these consequences. The strategies focus on informing, making children aware of the consequences of bullying, either from the point of view of the bullied, i.e. the victim, or from the point of view of the bully."

Two years ago, the Ministry of Education approved a special program against bullying in schools, but its effectiveness has been few, without managing to reduce the size of the phenomenon./VOA