MEDIA CONTENT ANALYSIS ON SCHOOL VIOLENCE AND AGGRESSION IN BULGARIA

This research offers a review of the online news content in Bulgaria, related to school aggression, violence, and sports initiatives tackling those behavioral problems. The aim is to provide an understanding of the phenomenon and the societal attitude towards its dimensions and possible solutions through sport. A media content analysis of online articles, dated January 2019 - April 2020, was used as a research methodology. Thirty-three articles on aggression and violence in school were reviewed, based on their frequency, timeline, place of publication, topics, and spokesperson. For the same time period, sixteen articles related to dealing with aggression through sport were reported. The results show that most of the media content on violence and aggression among students was related to raw statistical data and reports of cases. A relatively small section in the news was dedicated to opinion articles. It was observed that those who witness cases of aggression do not understand the seriousness of the situation and see it as entertainment. As a result, a major part of the video content, related to aggression, is being uploaded on the Internet by students and parents. However, the public focus is mainly shifted towards the school authorities and the figure of the teacher. At the same time, aggression in schools is spread among all students. It has a constant value and is provoked by numerous factors. On the contrary, initiatives and events aiming to disseminate information and to reduce aggression through sport were organized in many Bulgarian cities by nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and schools. The majority of events were organized as a part of European or national projects. It is suggested a more centralized national approach towards reducing aggression through different sports activities in school.