Exploring the Connections Between the Dynamics of Peer Bullying and the Process of the Emergence of Genocidal Regimes

Abstract

Introduction: Peer bullying has long been a central focus of educational sciences, psychology, and criminology; however, it is rarely examined within broader social and historical contexts. This study is based on the assumption that aggressive behavioral patterns among young people are not isolated phenomena but rather reflections of wider social communication and power dynamics.

Aims: The author’s aim is to explore the structural and dynamic similarities between the processes of peer bullying and the mechanisms underlying the emergence of genocidal regimes, with particular attention to normalization processes, actor roles, and the role of societal indifference.

Methodology: The study is based on a qualitative methodology, employing a literature-based analysis and thematic review. Through a comparative examination of selected theoretical models, the analysis focuses on processual characteristics, the stabilization of social roles, and recurring communication patterns.

Results: The analysis demonstrates that bullying and genocidal processes share several structural similarities, including the dehumanization of victims, the passive role of bystanders, the gradual legitimization of aggression, and institutional or community-level silence. These factors appear as decisive elements in both phenomena.

Conclusion: The study concludes that reducing violence among young people is not solely a pedagogical or disciplinary issue but a matter of broader societal responsibility. Communication patterns amplified by the digital environment further underscore the need for society-wide efforts to promote more conscious, tolerant, solidaristic, and morally consistent forms of communication. The primary contribution of this study lies in drawing attention - among the first in the field - to the parallels between peer bullying and genocidal processes, thereby expanding the interpretative framework of bullying research.