S p i r i t ua l i t y S t u d i e s 4 - 1 S p r i n g 2 0 1 8 2 7 Mária Dědová 1 Aggression and Bullying in the Context of Logotheoretical Concept Behavior aimed at harming another individual can vary in forms and intensity. Aggressive behavior may range from ostracism to aggressive, violent, or bullying behavior. Aggressive behavior is defined as “an intentional action causing harm to another person or a group of people, where important is the intention and not the fact whether the act was really committed or not” (Lovaš 2010, 12). Aggression means also intentional harm inflicted upon the victim with the aim to cause damage (Čermák 1999), or destructive behavior aimed at physical, verbal or symbolical attack against another individual (Spurný 1996). Aggression can be categorized as either reactive or proactive and, from the perspective of purpose, as affective and instrumental. Bullying is a special type of specific interpersonal aggression (Craig and Pepler 2007, 87), which involves significant power asymmetry between the aggressor and the victim and the repetition of aggressive behavior. Bullying is a form of behavior with an intention to physically, psychologically, socially, and emotionally harm the victim (Smith and Brain 2000, 1). A student is being bullied when he or she is exposed, repeatedly and over time, to negative actions on the part of one or more other students (Olweus 1997, 496). Understanding mechanisms of bullying requires knowing how the aggressive behavior works. The approach of logotheory is one of many approaches to understanding of man. It perceives human being in his complexity, as a three-dimensional unity of somatic, psychological, and noetic dimensions. The objective of such approach is to avoid all forms of reductionism in relation to understanding human being, and to find answers to existential questions about the value and meaning of life. The uniqueness of this approach lies in the search for answers to one’s existence that bring more than just a temporary satisfaction. The very essence of man is in his freedom, responsibility, and self-transcendence. Logotheory emphasizes the self-transcendence of man when he reaches beyond oneself and acts towards the pursuit of selfless goals and values. Logotheoretical concept of existence introduces an integral understanding of man in the process of being, becoming, direction, and relationships. It is a conception in which the subjective attributes and the activity of an individual are integrated into the process of personality structure and individual existence formation (Popielski 2005, 27). Central to logotheory is seeing man as being in three dimensions (Frankl 2006), as a unity of biological, psychological and, About the author Mgr. Mária Dědová, PhD. (1980) is a psychologist with a special research interest in bullying and aggression at schools, as well as logotheory and logotherapy of Victor Emil Frankl. Her email contact is maria.dedova@gmail.com.
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