Papel de la empatía en los agresores y las víctimas del acoso escolar: un estudio transversal / Role of empathy in aggressors and victims of bullying: A cross-sectional study

El acoso escolar es un fenómeno que está presente en las aulas. Las competencias emocionales que desarrollan los niños en su crecimiento pueden tener relación con la participación en este proceso. La empatía es una competencia que se ve afectada en agresores y víctimas. Este trabajo analizó si existen diferencias en el nivel de empatía en función de los participantes del acoso escolar (víctimas y acosadores). Además, se estudiasi hay diferencias en empatía en función del sexo de la persona hacia quien va dirigida la acción empática y de quién la ejerce. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 180 niños siendo el 50% chicas y 50% chicos de entre 10 y 12 años, encontrando la media en 11,23 años y la desviación típica de .914. reclutados en cinco colegios de la provincia de Alicante (Petrel, Ibi y Alicante), en España. Los niños respondieron al Cuestionario de Índice de Empatía para Niños y Adolescentes (Index of Empaty for Children and Adolescents, IECA) para evaluar la empatía y al Test Bull-S paraevaluar los posibles perfiles de agresor y víctima en las aulas. Los agresores y las víctimas obtuvieron un menor índice de empatía con respecto a la media global de la muestra; aunque no hubo diferencia en empatía entre agresores y víctimas. Las chicas puntuaron más alto en empatía que los chicos. Las chicas mostraron ser más empáticas con las chicas, que con los chicos. Se concluye que las competencias emocionales pueden verse afectadas en personas involucradas en situaciones de acoso. Por tanto, se debe dar prioridad a programas de prevención basados en mejorar las competencias emocionales y así evitar el problema del acoso escolar antes de que ocurra. (AU)

Bullying is a phenomenon that is present in the classroom. The emotional competences that children develop as they grow up may be related to their participation in this process. Empathy is a competence thatis affected in aggressors and victims. This paper analysed whether there are differences in the level of empathy depending on the participants in bullying (victims and bullies). In addition, we studied whether there are differences in empathy according to the gender of the person towards whomthe empathic action is directed and who is exercising it. The sample consisted of 180 children, 50% girls and 50% boys between 10 and 12 years of age, with a mean of 11.23 years and a standard deviation of .914, recruited from five schools in the province of Alicante (Petrel, Ibi and Alicante),Spain. The children responded to the Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents (IECA) questionnaire to assess empathy and to the Bull-S test to assess possible aggressor and victim profiles in the classroom. Bullies and victims scored lower on empathy than the overall sample mean, although there was no difference in empathy between bullies and victims. Girls scored higher on empathy than boys. Girls were more empathetic towards girls than boys. It is concluded that emotional competences may be affected in people involved in bullying situations. Therefore, priority should be given to prevention programmes based on improving emotional competences in order to prevent the problem of bullying before it occurs. (AU)

Relationship between Emotional Intelligence and Violence Exerted, Received, and Perceived in Teen Dating Relationships.

Emotional intelligence plays a critical role in adolescence since it involves a change towards psychological, social, and sexual maturity; a stage in which the foundations of intimate social relationships are established. Emotional competences regulate the quality of these relationships in adolescence and can provide protection against or facilitate the use of violence within them. Based on the above, this study aims to analyze the relationship between emotional intelligence and violence exercised, received, and perceived by adolescents in dating relationships. A sample of 254 subjects (43.1% men and 56.9% women) between 12 and 18 years old was analyzed through the Emotional Intelligence Questionnaires of BarOn ICE:NA and Violence Exercised Perceived and Received by Adolescents VERA. The results of the research have shown that there is a significant and inverse relation between the dimensions of emotional intelligence and the violence exercised by adolescents in their dating relationships, and a positive and significant relation between emotional intelligence and the perception of violent behavior. For this reason, the importance of educating people about emotional intelligence from childhood within both the academic and family sphere is highlighted. This is fundamental to preventing the appearance of such violent behaviors and promoting an adequate adaptation to the environment.