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A Theoretical Test of Bullying Behavior: Parenting, Personality, and the Bully/Victim Relationship

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Abstract

An index of bullying behavior was used to measure the extent that 527 university students (51% female and 49% male) were involved in bullying in the past couple of months. This index included measures of physical, verbal, indirect-relational, property, coercive, racial, and sexual bullying. Participants were classified into the categories of bully (23.7%), victim (19.9%), bully/victim (9.6%), and not involved in bullying. The type of parenting the students were exposed to growing up and the presence of personality traits reflective of Reintegrative Shaming Theory were also measured. Current bullying was positively associated with being a bully during childhood, impulsiveness, having a tendency to displace shame, being male, being exposed to parental stigmatization, and being younger. Being a victim was positively associated with a tendency to internalize shame, being a victim during childhood, being younger, and being a childhood bully. Shame displacement was negatively associated with being a victim.

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Notes

  1. The measurement of this type of parenting was not attempted in this study.

  2. It is inferred that this process operates at an unconscious level.

  3. This measure was in reference to a scenario were respondents were asked to imagine that you are at a party. Your friends are talking to someone you do not like. You decide to make up stories about this person so your friends will not like this person anymore. Someone at the party found out what you did. How would this make you feel?

  4. Imagine that you are at a party. You decide to make people laugh by telling jokes. You notice an overweight person, and begin telling jokes about his or her appearance and he or she begins to cry. How would this make you feel?

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  1. Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of North Florida, 1 UNF Drive, Jacksonville, FL, 32224-7699, USA

    Daniel Pontzer

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  1. Daniel Pontzer
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Pontzer, D. A Theoretical Test of Bullying Behavior: Parenting, Personality, and the Bully/Victim Relationship. J Fam Viol 25, 259–273 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10896-009-9289-5

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