Copyright (c) 2026 Revista Panameña de Ciencias Sociales
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Bullying has historically been addressed as a phenomenon confined to the school environment and childhood, which has encouraged reductionist interpretations that obscure its structural, multicausal
nature and its persistence throughout the life course. This article aims to analyze bullying from a comprehensive perspective, incorporating ethological, psychological, and sociological approaches, with particular emphasis on its reproduction within institutional, media, and political spheres in the Panamanian context. The study adopts a mixed, descriptive-exploratory approach that combines documentary review, semi-structured interviews with teachers, school administrators, and social professionals, the application of surveys to parents and teachers, as well as discourse content analysis of media outlets and digital platforms. The findings indicate that bullying is neither an isolated nor an exclusively school-based phenomenon, but rather an expression of unequal power relations, symbolic violence, and processes of social exclusion. These dynamics are reinforced by weaknesses within the family environment, limitations of the educational system, fragmentation of public policies, and the normalization of aggression in the media. Additionally, the study identifies medium —and long— term psychosocial and biological consequences affecting victims, aggressors, and bystanders alike.
Este obra está bajo una licencia de Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 4.0 Internacional.
