Making Sense of Verbal Bullying in Early Childhood: Preschool Teachers’ Perspectives and Reported Practices in Athens, Greece

Abstract

This study explored preschool teachers’ beliefs, interpretations, and reported practices regarding verbal bullying in early childhood settings in Athens, Greece. A qualitative research design was adopted, and fourteen preschool teachers employed in public and private nursery schools participated in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. The findings revealed substantial variability in teachers’ conceptualizations of verbal bullying, particularly in relation to intentionality, repetition, and power imbalance. Although most participants recognised the emotional harm associated with verbal aggression and expressed strong willingness to intervene, definitional ambiguity appeared to influence how incidents were identified and addressed. Teachers predominantly attributed verbally aggressive behaviors to family environment, emphasizing parental modeling and relational climates at home. Empathy-based dialogue and classroom discussion emerged as the principal reported forms of intervention. At the same time, although all participants acknowledged the importance of school–family cooperation, many described reluctance to engage parents because of anticipated defensiveness or denial. The study highlights the need for enhanced professional development focused on conceptual clarity, early identification of repeated victimization, and structured communication frameworks between schools and families. Given the formative importance of early childhood in shaping peer relations and social behaviour, strengthening prevention strategies at this stage may contribute meaningfully to reducing later bullying trajectories. Research on bullying has focused mainly on primary and secondary education, leaving verbal bullying in Greek preschool settings underexplored. Verbal aggression warrants particular attention because it can be subtle, mistaken for developmentally typical conflict, and become embedded in early peer relationships. This qualitative study examined how 14 preschool teachers from public and private schools in Athens conceptualised verbal bullying and described their responses to it. Semi-structured interviews and reflexive thematic analysis were used to obtain context-sensitive accounts from teachers with varied professional experience. The findings represent participants’ reported perceptions and practices rather than independently observed classroom behaviours. Teachers recognised the emotional harm caused by verbal aggression but applied the defining criteria of intentionality, repetition, and power imbalance inconsistently. They primarily attributed such behaviour to family influences and reported using empathy-based dialogue and classroom discussion. Although school–family cooperation was considered important, anticipated parental defensiveness often discouraged communication. The study extends understanding of how verbal bullying is interpreted within the specific cultural and educational context of Greek preschools. Despite the small, geographically limited convenience sample and reliance on self-report, the findings identify a need for clearer institutional protocols and prevention-oriented professional development addressing bullying recognition, inclusive intervention, documentation, and constructive family engagement.