The role of aggression and victimization among equals in school failure

Abstract

School failure, its causes and the promotion of academic success have been a concern of the Portuguese educational system shared by different political ideologies, which has remained an educational problem priority for several decades. In order to contribute to understanding the causes of school failure and to better promote educational success, data from three investigations are analyzed (one with 572 primary and secondary school students, the other with 15 teachers from the three levels of basic education and another from 186 primary pupils). These researches aims to verify the relationships between the aggressive behaviors between peers, perceived and self-reported by the pupils, and their academic achievement at school, on the one hand, and the teachers' perceptions about the disruptive behaviors of their pupils and academic achievement. Self-report and nominations questionnaires were used in the case of the pupils and the teachers completed a questionnaire for each of their pupils. The data obtained in these questionnaires were related to a school achievement measure (approval / disapproval at the end of the school year). The results suggest a relation between the aggressive behavior of the students and school failure, both in the self and hetero reports of the students, and through the teachers' perception, suggesting that programs to prevent bullying, indiscipline and aggression among peers can contribute to promote school success, and consequently for the inclusion of all students