A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF PEER VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS AND HARASSMENT IN THE WORKPLACE: GLOBAL TRENDS, RISK FACTORS, AND IMPLICATIONS FOR PREVENTION

Abstract

School bullying and workplace harassment represent pervasive global challenges that inflict significant harm on individual well-being and impede broader societal progress [1, 2, 3]. These forms of interpersonal aggression, though occurring in distinct life stages and environments, share common underpinnings and produce similarly detrimental consequences for mental and physical health, educational attainment, and economic productivity [1, 2, 3]. The objective of this paper is to conduct a detailed comparative analysis of the data presented in the UNESCO 2019 global report on school violence, "Behind the numbers: Ending school violence and bullying" [1], and the ILO-Lloyd's Register Foundation-Gallup 2022 global survey on workplace violence, "Experiences of violence and harassment at work" [3]. This analysis will explore the parallels and divergences in the prevalence, forms, and risk factors associated with these phenomena to identify common patterns of vulnerability and distinct contextual challenges. By juxtaposing the experiences of students with those of employed adults, this paper will use a life-course framework to interpret the data, conceptualizing school and work as critical, interconnected developmental stages where patterns of aggression are learned, expressed, and transformed.