Bullying is any form of psychological, verbal, physical, social, or sexual abuse produced repeatedly among students. Cyberbullying is the term used when it occurs over the Internet. According to UNESCO, almost one in three students between the ages of 11 and 15 have suffered bullying at school. There are differences according to geography, with Africa (48%) and the Middle East (41%) being the countries with the highest percentage of harassment, while Europe (25%), Central America (22%), and the Caribbean (25%) presented the lowest figures. However, these are alarming data since they seriously compromise the mental health of young people, increasing the risk of committing suicide by 2.5 times.
The victim(s) of harassment are usually in a disadvantaged position that prevents them from defending themselves effectively. The causes are varied, although the common characteristic is usually the lack of empathy and the inability to feel the victim’s suffering on the part of the harasser.
In most cases, the origin of this violence comes from frequent conflicts and an absence of love in the family environment that the child or adolescent reflects with their behavior in the school environment. It is in the family where the security, protection, and self-esteem of our children must be strengthened. Conflictive environments cause a lack of self-esteem in the child with a tendency to depression, making them more vulnerable to bullying. On the other hand, a very permissive education or excessively rigid discipline encourages aggressive behavior.
Another important factor is the school environment. A culture that prevents harassment is key to promoting healthy coexistence among young people. A meta-analysis of 69 randomized clinical studies (111,659 participants aged 4-17 years) demonstrated that anti-bullying interventions were significantly effective in reducing bullying, as well as improving associated mental problems. Importantly, the effectiveness of these programs did not decrease over time.
The mental and physical health of young people who suffer or have suffered bullying appears to be very negatively affected. The risk of suicide is 23%, and the consumption of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs increases significantly. Likewise, academic performance is lower in young people who have suffered bullying.
This research project aims to analyze the positive impact of Inner Management or Conscious Coaching on the behavior of young people both in the school and family environment, as well as on academic performance. The principle of this method is to teach how to manage negative emotions and identify erroneous beliefs that largely contribute to creating negative thinking habits and conflictive behaviors.