STUDENTS' ATTITUDES ON PEER VIOLENCE
Nowadays, peer violence is a phenomenon we encounter on a daily basis, to which many children are exposed. In order to prevent it in time, it is extremely important to recognize it and observe it from a child's perspective. The aim of this study, which was conducted among primary and secondary school students, with regard to age and gender, type and location of the school, was to investigate how peer violence is viewed by those who are most exposed to it, as well as to examine the occurrence frequency of certain forms of violence. The results confirm that peer violence is a common occurrence in school and that boys are more likely to take part in it, either by experiencing it or by inflicting it. A statistically significant difference can be seen in the respondents' attitudes on the forms of violence, where it is evident that boys are more exposed to physical violence, and that the most common form of peer violence among students is psychological (verbal) violence, i.e. derision, mockery, name calling, insulting, calling out. Although 49.1% of students claim that, with regard to gender, boys are more prone to peer violence, the fact that 34.3% of students claim that both girls and boys are equally prone to violence should not be disregarded. On the path to growing up, peer violence can leave a serious, and in some cases permanent, mark. The obtained results have been interpreted within the context of existing knowledge on peer violence, and the implications for further work have been highlighted.