Ne(empatičnost) počinilaca vršnjačkog nasilja – savremeni socijalno-pedagoški izazov u zaštiti dece

Peer violence is a burning issue which has attracted permanent attention of the professional and general public for years. Speaking in terms of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, it could be said that there has been a pandemic of peer violence in its various forms for a long time. The increasing cruelty among young people implied the need for the presentresearch in order to determine the expression of empathy among perpetrators of peer violence who are registered in primary and secondary schools in Niš and its surroundings, as well as in the Center for Social Work in Niš and Svrljig. Quantitative research method and scaling techniques were used in the research. The obtained results partially confirmed the general hypothesis, as higher scores were obtained on the cognitive dimension in relation to the affective dimension of empathy, i.e. verbal and physical aggression stood out as significant predictors of empathy in perpetrators of peer violence. The obtained research results imply the need for intensive promotion of empathy and prosocial development through programs for the development of social and emotional competencies of young people.