Peer violence in elementary schools of lower standards in education

Nowadays, children and adolescents are either victims or causes of different forms of psychological, physical and sexual peer violence. According to research examinations, pupils who suffer from minor mental disorder are also faced with lower abilities to learn and to assimilate general knowledge. They often have difficulties in emotioning and social relations as well. The theoretical part of the thesis, based on scholarly literature, defines the concept and different forms of peer violence. It describes the factors of violent behaviour and the roles that pupils can take in violent acts. It presents the measures to prevent violence and the occurrence of peer abuse in school. It also names legal and expert definitions of children and adolescents with minor mental disorder and Adapted education programme with lower educational standard. The theoretical part describes peer violence among this population and presents researches carried out among children and adolescents in Slovenia and all over the world. It also includes a research overview of peer violence among the population of children and adolescents with minor mental disorder. In the qualitative empirical part we researched implicit findings in terms of characteristics and forms of peer violence among primary school pupils with minor mental disorder and their teachers. Furthermore, we were interested in the methods of preventing or reducing peer violence in primary schools which include Adapted education programme with lower educational standard. The empirical data were gathered by using the method of partially structured interviews with eight pupils with minor mental disorder and eight teachers or counsellors, who are daily in contact with the select pupils. These interviews were carried out at eight Slovene primary schools that include Adapted education programme with lower educational standard. The data we collected were analysed by using the method of qualitative content analysis and were presented as a valid theory, which is supported by paradigmatic (schematic) model