Psychology Of Defense Mechanisms In Bullied Children At School: A Clinical Study Of Three Cases

Abstract

Bullying has become a common and serious problem among students in schools. Research confirms the negative effects that remain in a child's memory and affect their mental health, leading them to resort to defense mechanisms to reduce its severity. This was the focus of our study titled "Defense Mechanisms Psychology in Bullied Children at School." We adopted a clinical approach including interviews and observations through case studies. Three cases were deliberately selected: a 10-year-old male in fifth grade, a 6-year-old female in first grade, and a 12-year-old male in the second year of middle school. To crystallize this study, we used Adham Rajab Al-Khafaji's Bullying Victims Scale and the Children's Understanding of the Topic (CAT) test. The findings revealed that the most commonly used defense mechanisms by bullied children at school were projection, identification, repression, displacement, and regression.