Aggression in school-age children and the role of teachers in preventing bullying

The research problem and the rationale for its relevance. This article discusses the problem of aggressive behavior among children and the factors that influence them. The main causes of children's aggression are examined. The teacher plays an important role in managing bullying in the classroom. Therefore, understanding and developing teacher characteristics that can predict successful responses to bullying and victimization (harassment, repression) is a priority for prevention programs. The goal of this research was to assess whether the relationship between individual teacher characteristics, such as: teacher competence regarding the phenomenon, job satisfaction, and self-efficacy, and the level of bullying/victimization in school was mediated by the teacher's intervention when the bullying episode occurred. Methodology. The research included 56 teachers between the ages of 25 and 60 and 842 schoolchildren (40,3% boys; 59,6% girls) between the ages of 9 and 15. The path analysis showed that for perfect behavior, teacher competence with regard to bullying influenced schoolchildren' reports of bullying because of a higher likelihood of teacher intervention after a bullying episode occurred. The results are discussed in terms of teacher involvement in intervention and prevention of bullying. In conclusion, recommendations for teachers on how to address and work with children's bullying are drawn up.