AN INVESTIGATION INTO THE PERSPECTIVES OF MOTHERS AND TEACHERS ON EARLY CHILDHOOD BULLYING IN SAUDI ARABIA

Abstract

The present paper is devoted to the study of the problem of bullying in early childhood in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia form the perspective of mothers and teachers. The prevailing majority of studies in the field are devoted to high school bullying, which accounts for the relevance of the study at hand. Another gap the research intends to bridge is the problem of small children bullying in Saudi Arabia, as very few studies have been written on the topic since the existence of the problem had been denied until recently. The complexity of the assessment procedure is aggravated by the small age of children, whose reports cannot be fully reliable. Thus, the central purpose of the research was to understand and investigate the phenomenon of school bullying in children aged 3 to 7 years in Saudi society from the perspective of mothers and teachers and to find out what (if any) strategies they suggest to combat and prevent aggressive behaviour in pre-school children. To achieve this purpose, mixed research method was applied. Quantitative analysis was conducted in the form of survey, after which six interviews with three teachers and three mothers of pre-school children were carried out. The results showed that both mothers and teachers do not have clear understanding of the bullying phenomenon, although both parties agree that this form of aggression exists from the earliest age and should be dealt with as early as possible. As per their perception of bullying, very little agreement was found among the participants regarding the prevalence of bullying, its types, frequency, and causes. The results of the survey showed a higher level of awareness of both mothers and teachers than the interviews (though the respondents demonstrated involvement and readiness to combat the phenomenon in collaboration). However, none of the participants suggested an effective prevention or reduction programme. Teachers admitted that they use measures that they consider appropriate: mostly, communication with bullies and victims and establishing contact with mothers. Mothers try to get access to classrooms, which is mostly forbidden unless on certain occasions, which is the key obstacle for them to have control over the behaviour of their children and the occurrence of bullying. Both mothers and teachers highlighted importance of collaborative approach between teachers and mothers. Both the interviews and the survey demonstrated that the problem of bullying in pre-school children remains largely neglected in Saudi Arabia.