Identificación de los componentes actitudinales de la violencia escolar dirigida hacia colectivos específicos

Résumé

Objectives: School violence is a serious public health problem that, although it has been present throughout history in schools, has experienced a significant increase in research in recent years. It is estimated that more than one third of children and adolescents (NNA) worldwide have been physically assaulted by their peers in the school context, and it is estimated that 32% have been victims of some type of bullying at least once in the last month. There are several variables associated with the occurrence of this type of violence, identifying social, family, relational and individual aspects. In this regard, on an individual level, attitudes towards violence in the school context are considered strong predictors of this type of behavior among peers. The main objective of this thesis, presented in a compendium of publications, is to explore and analyze the attitudinal aspects of school violence concerning three specific groups that are considered vulnerable due to their unique characteristics. More specifically, three studies are presented, examining attitudes towards violence in relation to the sex, gender, and socioeconomic status of the children and adolescents involved in this context. Method: The studies included in this thesis use a qualitative research design to examine attitudes towards violence in the school context. Much of the published research on the relationship between attitudes and behavior relies on a quantitative approach, which, while essential for studying this phenomenon, often fails to capture the subjective perspective of the participants. This is why qualitative studies are of particular interest, as they facilitate the exploration of the children's point of view and how they express it, facilitating a greater depth in the exploration of the meaning and understanding of the information provided. In the development of the qualitative methodology, the grounded theory perspective was used in the constructivist approach, using focus groups. In order to obtain the topics, 96 participants from Spanish Primary and Compulsory Secondary Education schools were used. Results: The thematic analysis identified four attitudes towards violence related to LGTBIQA+, seven related to the participants’ gender and three related to the socioeconomic status of the children and adolescents. Among these, four attitudinal blocks towards these three groups are found, which are: a) attitudes towards violence perceived as legitimate; b) as a way to feel better; c) as a way to have fun and d) as a way to socialize. In addition, specific aspects of attitudes associated with each of the groups were identified, providing relevant information for the analysis and prevention of violence in the school context. Conclusions: The results of the studies in this thesis confirm the importance of the attitude-behavior relationship, providing specific information that can be used by psychology professionals. This information can be used in the development of prevention and intervention programs on violence against these groups in the school context.