Uma investigação sobre as habilidades sociais de crianças envolvidas no bullying

Abstract

The present paper aimed to investigate victimization behaviors and social skills of e 221 children and pre-adolescents from nine to 14 years-old (M = 11,21, SD = 1,025) regularly enrolled in two public schools, in Novo Hamburgo city, South Brazil. Participants answered to a socio-demographical questionnaire, a social skills self-report measure and a peer assessment about social behaviors (bullying and prosocial acts). Significant correlations between variables show that socialization and victimization behaviors are positive associated to aggression. In other words, aggressive children can increase their socialization and vice-versa. Also victimized children may become more aggressive or the opposite aggressive children can increase chances to be victimized. Active withdrawal was positively correlated to victimization showing that being a victim increases children’s withdrawal and children ’s withdrawal can led a child to be victimized. A Student T Test showed that girls were perceived as more aggressive than boys contrary to the existent literature. The mean for the entire sample on social skills showed positive level of social skills and this variable was positively correlated to socialization. A multiple regression showed, therefore, that even having adequate social skills if a child is aggressive, she is at risk for victimization (bullying). These data allows discussing risk and protection dynamic in bullying process. The social skills comprehension is necessary for a complete understanding and interpretation of bullying process to implement effective clinical interventions that may act as protective factors to aggressive problems in different contexts.