Bullying, coexistence, and school subjectivities in unequal educational contexts

Abstract

When addressing bullying and its relationship to coexistence in educational settings where diverse psychosocial and cultural inequalities are present, the analysis must begin from a perspective inherent to the dynamics of violence at the individual level. The purpose of this study is to reveal how students interpret and discuss their everyday practices of coexistence within their academic activities, taking into account various pedagogical approaches that promote and strengthen coexistence in the school environment, based on fostering inclusive and innovative spaces in social relationships. Bullying has become one of the high-risk circumstances in school contexts, highlighting the way it affects students’ mental health, social fabric, and academic performance, thus demanding priority attention from all actors involved in the educational setting. Although numerous studies on the subject have identified conditions of social inequality and their influence on peer relational dynamics, bullying is recognized as a complex framework in which various forms of violent actions are manifested, where family, the educational community, and institutional capacities play a significant role in the effectiveness of school well-being. It can be concluded that, despite the fact that schools are spaces where inequalities are present, they also possess a significant capacity to transform behaviors from both psychosocial and academic perspectives. The main contribution of this study to the educational community lies in providing a contextualized understanding of the phenomenon of bullying, moving beyond individual and disciplinary approaches.