CYBERBULLYING IN THE SCHOOL CONTEXT: TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS

ABSTRACT The aim of the study was to understand the teachers’ conception of cyberbullying and the strategies used to deal with these situations at school. It is an exploratory study with a qualitative approach. The empirical field of the research consisted of semi-structured interviews carried out with six teachers from a public elementary and high school in the interior of Rio Grande do Sul state. After analyzing the interviews, two categories were created, namely: Violence outside the school: teachers’ perception and Actions to cope and fight cyberbullying developed by the school. It was possible to identify the existing weaknesses in the school, referring to the effectiveness in solving the problem of violence, in the teachers’ view. It emphasizes the importance of initial and continuing education for professionals who work directly with those involved, so that interventions in this aspect are more successful.