Focus Bari: Nationwide research on bullying of Greek children and adolescents

According to a survey by Focus Bari, eight out of ten Greeks consider verbal assault and emotional blackmail to be the most common forms of bullying.

The research, conducted on a sample of 1,000 people aged 16-64 on the views and experiences of the Greek public on the phenomenon of bullying at a young age, was carried out in the context of the nationwide campaign entitled “Speak Now” on the phenomenon of domestic violence and Bullying, from “Smile of a Child”.

60% of Greeks state that they have personally been bullied in childhood or adolescence, with the phenomenon showing the same proportion of men and women. The main places where bullying takes place seem to be education venues.

Bullying is practiced mainly by peers, with the main reason being their need to stand out, to “make fun”, to imitate others, but also out of feelings of inferiority.

Research shows that when bullied, a child feels fear, despair / angst, but also shame, misery and guilt, while the majority of bullied children do not talk about it or ask for help from anyone.

Finally, the minority of children who ask for help are mainly addressed to their parents, and to a lesser extent to some official institution.