Ways to explain bullying: dimensional analysis of the conceptions held by adolescents

This study unveils the meaning attributed by students to bullying and contributes to the approach of student health. The objective was to identify the dimensions of the conceptions of students regarding bullying. A total of 55 students from 11 public schools participated by answering semi-structured interviews. Dimensional analysis was used to treat data and a matrix was constructed with the dimensions identified. The Grounded Theory was adopted as the methodological and theoretical framework. The adolescents were aware of the main dimensions of bullying but explained it descriptively and from individual perspectives. The following dimensions were identified: type, nature, examples, motivation and consequences. The type of violence was a dimension with greater explanatory power in relation to the remaining dimensions. Verbal violence and its different manifestations stood out. Aspects of the literature that define bullying were identified, indicating how the topic is diffused, its occurrence and how it is understood by students. The innovative nature of this study is its focus on the identification of the dimensions of bullying present in the narrative of Brazilian students. It is an approach that contributes to the organization of healthcare programs and interventions in different fields.