Victimization among public high school students in southern Chile

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to analyze the extent and modalities of victimization among students during the first semester after the lifting of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in public high schools in the Biobío Region, Chile. To conduct this study, a mixed and concurrent approach was implemented, involving a group of 723 students who completed a socio-demographic questionnaire and responded to the Peer Victimization Scale. Additionally, four focus groups were organized, comprising a total of 32 students from four rural high schools. The results revealed higher rates of verbal and physical victimization, and statistically significant differences were identified based on geographic location (urban or rural) and participants' gender in terms of sexual victimization. This study represents one of the initial attempts to provide evidence regarding peer victimization issues at the secondary education level, particularly in public institutions, in the post-lockdown period. Valuable results are provided to properly focus school coexistence programs and action protocols, with special attention to the most common forms of violence and the individual, family, curricular, and contextual factors that may influence these environments.