A vivência musical preditora de empatia cognitiva para inibição ao bullying escolar

Abstract

The exponentially significant escalation of school violence has bullying as an associated and frequent phenomenon in schools, exposing the vulnerabilities of Brazilian society in recent decades (Cara, 2023; Vinha & Garcia, 2025). This problem demands preventive strategies that transcend merely punitive measures, focusing on the development of socio-emotional skills in students (Ruiz & Mora-Merchán, 1998). In this context, the present study aimed to investigate how musical experience influences the mitigation of bullying perpetration, analyzing the role of empathy, in its cognitive and affective dimensions, as the main mediating mechanism of this relationship among high school students. The study design was quantitative, cross-sectional, and explanatory. The sample consisted of 527 integrated high school students from the Federal Institute of Education, Science and Technology of Minas Gerais (IFMG) - Ouro Preto Campus. Data collection used the Brief Music Experience Questionnaire (Brief-MEQ) (Werner et al., 2006) in the QuEM-Br version developed by (deSouza, Silva & Arsand Neto, 2024), the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) (Davis, 1983), and the Bullying Behaviors Scale (ECB) (Gouveia et al., 2015). Data analysis was performed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The analysis revealed that musical experience alone does not have a significant direct effect on reducing bullying. However, a double and parallel mediation model was confirmed, where musical experience acts as a strong positive predictor of Perspective Taking (Cognitive Empathy) and Empathic Concern (Affective Empathy). These variables significantly inhibit aggressive behaviors. Empathic Concern emerged as a significant protective factor, inferring that music can mitigate socialization effects associated with aggressiveness. However, it acts as a strong catalyst for empathy, which, in itself, is the protective factor that reduces aggression. Thus, when linked to musical experience, empathy is further strengthened in fostering the mitigation of bullying. Finally, it is concluded that music education in schools should be understood not only as an aesthetic activity, but as a powerful social and affective technology capable of humanizing school relations, promoting empathy as an antidote to the culture of violence.