Prevention Efforts Against Bullying in Schools According to Middle School Students

Schools serve as environments designed to nurture students comprehensively, supporting not only academic growth but also emotional development and life skills. Unfortunately, the essential mission of schools is increasingly disrupted by the widespread issue of bullying. This study aims to examine how middle school students perceive efforts to prevent bullying. Using a qualitative approach with purposive sampling, data were obtained through in-depth interviews and thematically analyzed. The findings indicate that students view bullying as a deliberate and repeated act of aggression carried out by individuals or groups against peers with less power, expressed in physical, verbal, or psychological forms. According to the students, preventive strategies include: (1) embedding anti-bullying education into the curriculum, (2) establishing school-based anti-bullying task forces, (3) strengthening collaboration among schools, parents, and communities, and (4) encouraging students’ active participation in extracurricular programs that provide constructive outlets for their energy.