5 OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT TEACHERS' COMPETENCE TO CARRY OUT THE PREVENTION OF BULLYING AMONG PUPILS AT SCHOOL Ilona Klanienė, Gražina Šmitienė, Roberta Vaitelytė Klaipeda University Abstract Republic of Lithuania Law on Education (2011) indicates that one of the school's goals - to ensure a safe environment for its pupils. However, the number of bullying at schools remains quite high. Regarding the number of pupils, experiencing bullying, Lithuania is in first place (HBSC 2014) among other countries. The purpose of the article - to reveal teachers' competence as a factor, ensuring the prevention of bullying among peers at school. The results of qualitative research, which reflects the teachers' attitude to their competence to deal with cases of bullying among peers at school, are presented in the article. The results of qualitative research reveal the attitudes of social pedagogues and class masters towards teachers' ability to carry out the prevention of bullying at school. The results of the survey show that the majority of teachers have the knowledge about bullying, its expression, however, some teachers state that they lack the ability to deal with cases of bullying among peers at school. Teachers experience difficulties mostly when they try to interfere in bullying situations among peers. The results of the research allow to make an assumption that seeking for the quality in preventing the bullying among peers, it is necessary to improve teachers' competences. KEYWORDS: teachers' competence, pupils, bullying prevention at school. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15181/atee.v1i0.1312 Introduction One of child's inborn needs is to feel safe in the close environment, however, various pupils' surveys show that a large number of children at schools become victims of aggression, which occur in a form of bullying (Wolke D. et al., 2001). Republic of Lithuania Law on Education (2011) states, that school's responsibility is to ensure friendly and safe education and learning environment for its pupils. This means that school delegates a function to carry out the prevention of violence, including bullying at school. The researches, accomplished both abroad and in Lithuania, show that the number of bullying manifestations at schools is still high. Bullying is an international phenomenon which is common to all countries: bullying is experienced by pupils from Scandinavia and Great Britain, Germany, Greece and other countries. Only the extent of bullying of different countries varies. In Belgium 23 per cent of primary school pupils experience bullying, in Greece 14.7 per cent are frequently bullied, while the rest are mocked by 6.3 percent of children (Pateraki et al., 2001). The results of accomplished survey in Canada reveal that 5 per cent of boys and 7 per cent of girls, aged 4-11 often experienced bullying and 14 per cent of boys and 9 per cent of girls mocked at others (Robichaud et al., 2007). In Lithuania the bullying problem is even more relevant than in other countries. Although in Lithuania applied researches are conducted and programs are carried out, bullying at school is one of the most pressing problems for many pupils (Jonynienė et al., 2011). According to the study results of HBSC (Health Behaviour in School-aged Children), accomplished in 2014, the rate of bullying at Lithuanian schools remains the highest, in comparisont with other countries. Both in Lithuania and all over the world researches on bullying among peers are carried out. The frequency of bullying at schools is being investigated. (Olweus, 2008; Robichaud, 2007; Valeckienė, 2007), forms of bullying, experience of a victim and an offender (Olweus, 2008 Zaborskis 2014), the consequences of this phenomenon are being delved into (Smokowski et al., 2005; Robichaud, 2007; Gumuliauskienė et al., 2010). There is still an intensive search for ways, enabling to reduce bullying at schools (Povilaitis et al., 2006; Olweus, 2008). Lithuania is currently highly focused on cyberbullying analysis (Valeckienė, 2011; Gedutienė et al., 2012). Although scientific researches have already answered to many issues regarding bullying prevention or implementation, but basically, looking at the situation in Lithuania, there is a lack of research, which would scientifically justify teachers’ competence to carry out bullying prevention program. The issue of teachers’ competence is also important for the compulsory implementation of bullying prevention at school. Lithuanian Seimas Committee on Education, Science and Culture has approved to the proposed project, which offers the Government to ensure that in all Lithuanian schools at least one of