Social pedagogy and bullying in schools : the views of university students in England, Greece and Norway

This study explores the extent to which a social pedagogic perspective is evident in the views of bullying in schools held by a sample of university students in England, Greece and Norway studying in the area of the education, care and welfare of children. A total of 469 university students completed a questionnaire in which they were asked to rate their strength of agreement with thirty statements concerning bullying in schools. Twelve of these statements specifically explored adopting a social pedagogic perspective. There was a general consensus amongst the respondents in all three countries that bullying is a major problem in schools and that schools are not tackling bullying adequately. The replies also indicate that many respondents reported views that align with a social pedagogic perspective. Differences between students within each country and between countries are in part a reflection of polarised views about how best to tackle bullying.