METHODOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS OF THE CONCEPTS OF VERBAL AGGRESSION AND BULLYING

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive analysis of linguistic aggression and bullying in the student and cadet environment within the context of contemporary communicative and sociocultural processes. Linguistic aggression is conceptualized as a multidimensional socio-linguistic and psychocommunicative phenomenon manifested through explicit and implicit communicative strategies that significantly affect interpersonal relations and the psychological climate of academic communities. Special attention is paid to indirect forms of aggression such as irony, sarcasm, manipulative utterances, communicative exclusion, and the devaluation of the interlocutor’s status, as well as to manifestations of cyberbullying in the digital educational space, which are often perceived as normalized or socially acceptable. The methodological framework is grounded in an interdisciplinary integration of cognitive-discourse, pragmatic, sociolinguistic, and communicative-psychological approaches, enabling a holistic interpretation of aggressive verbal behavior in educational settings. The empirical data were obtained through questionnaires, semi-structured interviews, and the analysis of samples of natural spoken and online communication among higher education students. The findings reveal the predominance of indirect linguistic aggression, a high level of tolerance toward aggressive speech behavior, and gender-related differences in the selection of communicative strategies and speech models. The study concludes that linguistic aggression functions as an indicator of insufficient speech culture, emotional intelligence, social responsibility, and communicative reflection. The practical value of the research lies in its applicability to the development of preventive strategies, educational programs on communicative ethics, and institutional policies aimed at creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful educational environment in higher education institutions.