Bullying, through a Human Rights Perspective

Abstract The purpose of this study was to gain a deeper understanding of how the judgement of causes of bullying affects teachers decisions to intervene in bullying situations. In spite of much effort to prevent bullying, approximately 50,000 children are bullied in Norwegian schools every day, and there is no indication that these numbers are going to decrease. Teachers are obligated by the Educational Act to intervene and stop bullying whenever they discover it. Thus, every teacher has a responsibility to protect victims from harm. By viewing bullying through a human rights perspective, the obligation to promote an even stronger effort at prevention is established. Another additional purpose of the study was to investigate theoretical and empirical explanations for causes of bullying and how these findings influence the views and beliefs of teachers. Furthermore, there seems to be much mystification surrounding the bullying, which might further complicate an already complex issue. The use of negative terms to describe victims, such as having a personality disorder or social incompetence , might also contribute to stigmatizing the victims. By taking a human rights perspective, we are able to focus on protection and respecting the dignity of every child exposed to bullying. There is one key question that needs to be addressed when it comes to our understanding of bullying. Given that personal characteristics are presented as an explanation for the cause of bullying, why are victims with these characteristics not then bullied across situations and times? The study was conducted in two schools in a local community outside Oslo. The research question was addressed through a qualitative research design using a semi-structured interview according to phenomenological principles. Results from the literature review suggest that in spite of consensus about the definition of bullying, there seems to be no single theory that explains the cause of bullying, which would enable a better prediction of bullying situations and effective preventions thereof. The results of the qualitative research suggest that teachers trust their own judgement when it comes to intervention in bullying situations. Instead of attributing the causes to personal characteristics, teachers focused on bullying behaviour and emphasized handling the bullying situation before becoming out of their control. Key words: bullying, human rights, victimization, decision making, intervention