Most students in Montenegro perceive school as a safe place and feel a sense of belonging to their school community. However, findings from a new Council of Europe study show that peer violence remains a serious issue, particularly in its verbal, social and digital forms.
According to the findings of the “Research on peer violence, cyberbullying and violence in schools in Montenegro”, almost 44 per cent of students reported having displayed some form of violent behaviour towards their peers at least once. The most common forms include mockery, verbal abuse, gossiping and exclusion from peer groups, while students are increasingly pointing to the seriousness of violence in the online environment.
The research covered 3,975 primary and secondary school students, 842 parents and 1,025 school staff members, and was conducted in 169 schools across Montenegro as part of the project “Prevent bullying and violence in schools in Montenegro”, implemented by the Council of Europe in partnership with the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, and funded by Germany.
Almost 80 per cent of school staff believe that violence exists, although most assess it as a rare or occasional occurrence. However, nearly 90 per cent report that verbal forms of violence, such as insults and derogatory name-calling, are present in schools. They also express particular concern about the impact of digital technologies and the growing prevalence of online violence.
Parents share similar concerns — more than half believe that violence among children occurs frequently or occasionally, while 83.6 per cent consider online insults and verbal abuse to be common. At the same time, more than half of families do not set any restrictions on internet use, which further increases the risk of digital violence.
A particular strength of the study lies in its paired methodological approach, through which each parent and child were analysed as a single unit. The findings show that parents and children often perceive the same issues differently, with parents frequently assessing violence, anxiety and online risks as less severe than children actually experiencing them.
The qualitative component of the research also included interviews with representatives of relevant institutions, as well as international organisations, civil society organisations and professional associations. The shared message of interviewees can be summarised in one sentence: the problem is recognised, but the system is set to respond once violence occurs more than successfully preventing it.
The report’s key message then is that the issue of peer violence is clearly recognised, but the system continues to focus more on response than on effective prevention. For this reason, the main recommendations include establishing an early identification system for violence, introducing clear reporting mechanisms for students, strengthening schools’ response capacities, improving cooperation with parents and placing a stronger focus on digital safety.
The report Research on peer violence, cyberbullying and violence in schools in Montenegro is now public and available in both Montenegrin and English:
Executive summary - Montenegrin
