Teachers’ perceptions of bullying in high schools: A Turkish study

The aim of this study was to explore teachers’ perceptions about student-related violent events in Trabzon, Turkey in 2006-2007. A semistructured interview form was constructed and administered to 10 teachers. For the data analysis, the constant comparative method was used. Results showed that teachers perceive bullying mostly as demanding rights through violence. The main factors which affect bullying were seen as students’ socioeconomic status, their relationships with parents, visual media, and the Internet. It is suggested that teachers participate in projects which are aimed at preventing bullying and the curriculum for teacher trainees be redesigned so that they are more effectively educated about bullying.