Expert: To effectively protect children and young people, we must look at reality through their eyes.

Adults often treat violence as a temporary educational problem, while young people perceive it as a real threat with long-term consequences, says Magdalena Borowiak from the Department of Forensic Sciences at the Academy of Applied Sciences in Piła, author of research on peer violence.

You're the author of research on peer violence in the city of Piła. A report from this research has just been published on the university's website. Do your findings differ significantly from national studies on this topic?

Magdalena Borowiak, Department of Forensic Sciences, Academy of Applied Sciences in Piła: In a local study, nearly half of young people (47%) admitted to experiencing violence, while in national studies, this percentage is 57–66% (Włodarczyk, Wójcik; Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę Foundation, 2023). At the same time, in Piła, over 70% of students reported witnessing violence, demonstrating its high visibility in everyday school life. Compared to national studies, the scale of personal experience is slightly lower, but the percentage of witnesses is exceptionally high. This means that peer violence is widely recognized and requires preventive measures not only for perpetrators and victims, but also for entire peer groups.

In your research report, you write that local studies show that there is still a significant discrepancy between how adults perceive the situation and how children and young people perceive its reality. What are these differences?

MB: Young people often emphasized during the project that adults don't fully grasp the scale of peer violence. Their experiences are often downplayed – violence is reduced to "jokes" or typical conflicts, and adults' reactions, such as "that's what happens at school," make them feel misunderstood. For students, these aren't incidental situations, but recurring experiences that impact their sense of security, self-confidence, and relationships with peers. The biggest difference in perception is that adults often treat violence as a temporary educational problem, while young people perceive it as a real threat with long-term consequences.

- In your opinion, "to effectively protect children and young people, we must look at reality through their eyes, not through the eyes of adult imaginations"?

MB: Yes, that's exactly the point. Very often, adults have their own ideas about what peer violence is, based on their past experiences or the belief that "things have always been like this." Meanwhile, young people today operate in a completely different reality – including a digital one – and their experiences are much more intense and multifaceted. To effectively protect them, it's not enough to look from the perspective of an adult who assesses the situation "from above" and filters it through their own perceptions. It's necessary to look through the eyes of young people, listening to how they themselves describe their emotions, fears, and feelings of threat.

- Do schools respond sufficiently to peer violence?

MB: I believe schools are taking every possible step to respond and curb violence. I also see schools in Piła collaborating with the police on prevention. A school's response to peer violence depends not only on procedures but, above all, on the quality of communication between students, teachers, and parents. Research shows that students often feel like no one is listening to them or understanding their perspective. They need to know that their voices are taken seriously and that they can clearly articulate what they expect – conversation, mediation, or protection.

It's equally important for adults to be clear about how they can respond and what support they can offer, which prevents feelings of helplessness. Communication defining roles and expectations is crucial to ensure consistency and provide a real sense of security. Supporting teachers who intervene is also essential – through training, tools, and emotional support, which allows them to be more effective.

- What else can adults do? Teachers, parents?

MB: Adults have many ways to truly support young people. Above all, they should actively listen to students and make them feel their voices are important. Teachers can create an open atmosphere in classrooms, teach conflict resolution, and implement preventative activities, clearly communicating what actions will be taken in response to violence.

Parents strengthen their sense of security at home by talking about their children's experiences. They can teach them how to ask for help. They should collaborate with the school. Clear and consistent communication is key – everyone should know what they can do as a student, teacher, or parent.

These are not new solutions, but their effectiveness requires the involvement of the entire community. Only the concerted, consistent work of adults can give young people a sense of real security.

- What are the needs of young people?

MB: In the context of the topic we're discussing, young people above all need to feel safe and heard. They want to be taken seriously. They need consistent and open communication that gives them a sense of control and participation in resolving the issues that affect them.

- What are the main mechanisms of peer violence in schools?

MB: I believe that peer violence in schools operates through various socio-emotional mechanisms. It often stems from group hierarchy and peer pressure – young people use aggression to maintain their position or exclude others. Modeling behavior is also crucial – students repeat what they see from their peers, in the media, and at home. If adults don't respond consistently, young people may believe that violence is tolerated. Furthermore, emotional tension, difficulty regulating emotions, or feelings of exclusion can lead to aggression, and systemic factors, such as large class sizes and a lack of effective preventative measures, facilitate the repetition of such behavior.

- Almost half of students admit that peer violence affects their emotional well-being...

MB: Indeed, our report shows that almost half of students admit that peer violence affects their emotional well-being – they experience stress, anxiety, isolation from peers, and their self-confidence and motivation to learn decrease. Daily life at school becomes less safe and comfortable, which is why it's so important for adults to be aware of these effects. It's also alarming that 30.8% of students are unable to quantify the impact of violence on their well-being, which may indicate habituation to violence or low emotional awareness.

- When does peer violence most often occur in schools?

MB: Research shows that peer violence at school most often occurs in situations where there is a lack of adult supervision – during breaks, in hallways, locker rooms, or in the cafeteria. Students also describe conflicts occurring during extracurricular activities or in groups where peer pressure is strong. They also point to exclusion and hate on social media – phenomena that often permeate both the school space and life outside of it, and have no spatial boundaries.

- Why does peer violence occur?

MB: Often, it's because opportunities arise to control others or demonstrate superiority over peers. Students themselves say that conflicts sometimes erupt in places where it's easy to attract attention from a group, or where someone feels less noticed and tries to assert their position. It's also important that some school spaces can foster anonymity – this is where young people test boundaries and gauge others' reactions.

- What else significant came out of your research and does it differ from nationwide research on peer violence?

MB: The results of the Piła study don't differ significantly from the national survey, but they did reveal something important: young people are good at labeling various violent behaviors, and their observations are valuable for understanding the realities of school. We also noticed that in many situations, students confide in each other and help each other in difficult situations, but they aren't always prepared for this and cannot take full responsibility for the consequences of such actions. Peer violence remains a complex phenomenon, stemming from both individual characteristics and environmental influences.

Anna Mikołajczyk-Kłębek, Science in Poland

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