Education Professionals' Knowledge And Needs Regarding Bullying

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to analyze teachers' and other education professionals' needs and knowledge when dealing with bullying situations. Data collection was carried out in two different sessions of a bullying prevention one-day symposium at a four-year state university. The participants were 53 educational professionals from several elementary and middle schools. Qualitative analysis of session artifacts revealed that participants had a basic understanding of bullying; however, they doubt its definition and how to identify when it occurs. Participants in the case study were interested in being change agents when it comes to addressing bullying problems. However, they lacked self-confidence and access to appropriate resources to overcome their fears and diminished self- efficacy for proper intervention.