Povezanost individualnih karakteristika učenika sa strahom od škole i izloženosti nasilju od strane vršnjaka u školskom okruženju
Individual Characteristics of Students in Relation to Fear of School and Peer Victimization in Croatian Primary Schools

Summary/Abstract: The aim of our research was to investigate the prevalence of fear of school and between peer victimization in Croatian primary schools and to determine possible gender and age differences. An additional aim was to try to predict how fear of school and victimization are related to students’ personal characteristics such as self-esteem, social and organizational skills. The sample included 4999 fifth- to eighth-grade primary school students from 49 Croatian schools. The results show gender and age differences in the presence of fear of school that point to girls and older students experiencing more fear. The significant interaction effect shows that most experiences of fear of school can be found in older girls. The obtained gender and age differences in peer victimization point to boys and younger students reporting more experiences of victimization, and significant interaction effect shows that younger boys are the group most exposed to peer harassment. The hierarchical regression analyses show that fear of school can be significantly predicted based on students’ self-esteem, while peer victimization can be predicted based on student’s self- -esteem as well as their social skills. Students with more self- -esteem experience less fear of school, and students who have better social skills as well as more self-esteem are less likely to be victimized by peers. Practical implications of the findings are considered for development of prevention programs in the school setting.

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