The hidden side of bullying: the spectators. Challenges of social work

Abstract

Introduction. In recent years, multiple studies have been conducted on the phenomenon of bullying within educational contexts, in the same way it has been written about the profiles of the aggressors, as well as their characteristics and behaviors (Acevedo 2010), however Little has been studied about the so-called “passive aggressor”, the spectators of the aggressions, who represent a type of subtle aggressor, invisible in most cases, but of fundamental presence; The main objective of this article is to show the results of a study aimed at identifying the types of spectators that predominate in twelve Basic Education Institutions of the City of Saltillo, Coahuila, Mexico, of which six are of primary level and six of secondary level; taking into consideration 75 students of these levels in ages ranging from 6 to 15 years old. Material and methods. The Bullying Card was designed in school contexts, through which four types of bullying spectators were identified: passive, antisocial, reinforcing and assertive. Conclusions. The study revealed that the assertive spectator predominates in the twelve institutions addressed; showing with it, a growing participation of the students in the matter of prevention of school violence that is currently lived in the entity.