DEVELOPMENT OF CONFLICTOLOGICAL COMPETENCE OF FUTURE PSYCHOLOGISTS IN THE CONTEXT OF ANTI-BULLYING ACTIVITIES

Abstract

The article provides a comprehensive theoretical and methodological substantiation of the significance of developing conflictological competence in future psychologists as a key condition for the effective implementation of anti-bullying activities in general secondary education institutions. The relevance of the study is determined by the increasing prevalence of bullying in educational environments, the growing complexity of interpersonal conflicts among school-aged youth, and the heightened societal demands for psychologists’ professional readiness to ensure a safe, supportive, and non-violent educational space.

The paper analyzes contemporary international and Ukrainian scholarly approaches to understanding bullying as a socio-psychological phenomenon characterized by systematic nature, power imbalance, and stability of participants’ roles, as well as approaches to the professional training of psychologists for work in conflict-prone and crisis educational settings. Conceptual foundations concerning the content and structure of conflictological competence, its place within the system of professional competencies of future psychologists, and its role in preventing and overcoming destructive forms of interaction in school communities are generalized.

The study identifies the structural components of conflictological competence in future psychologists, including cognitive, operational-activity, and value-personal components, and reveals their content in the context of anti-bullying activities. The possibilities for the purposeful development of this competence in the process of professional training in higher education institutions are substantiated through the integration of theoretical instruction, practice-oriented learning, and partnership-based interaction with key stakeholders in the educational process.

Particular attention is paid to the use of restorative practices, school mediation, training-based learning formats, case analysis, and professional situation modeling as effective tools for developing conflictological competence in future psychologists. The importance of interprofessional cooperation among psychologists, teachers, school administrators, and parents in the design and implementation of comprehensive anti-bullying programs is emphasized.

Prospects for further research are outlined, including empirical studies of the levels of conflictological competence development in future psychologists, the design and testing of structured programs for its enhancement, and the evaluation of the effectiveness of integrated models of anti-bullying training within the system of higher psychological education.