BULLYING FROM A SOCIOCULTURAL CONSTRUCTIVIST PERSPECTIVE

Abstract

Happiness and success in contemporary societies seem to equal consumism and the achievement of individualistic life projects. Values and beliefs oriented to fierce competition and individualism are often promoted among children and adolescents within various social contexts. Where competition and individualism prevails, ethics become less important, and aggression and violence easily emerge. Theincreased occurrence of bullying at schools calls for a paradigm change in education. According to scientific psychology, no  recipes exist, and the phenomenon needs to go under analysis taking into account the role of culture, the constructive subject, and the existence of multiple causality. To prevent bullying entails hard work by schools to intentionally promote positive social values among students and teachers. Moreover, peace should become a transversal guiding principle across the curriculum. Schools can and should be active in encouraging peace, healthy, ethical, and respectful human interactions, cheering values such as justice, dignity and social responsibility