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

NCJ Number
230075
Journal
Journal of Family Violence Volume: 25 Issue: 3 Dated: April 2010 Pages: 259-273
Author(s)
Daniel Pontzer
Date Published
April 2010
Length
15 pages
Annotation
Using a sample of university students, this study examined the extent to which the students were involved in bullying in the previous months.
Abstract
An index of bullying behavior was used to measure the extent that 527 university students (51 percent female and 49 percent 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 percent), victim (19.9 percent), bully/victim (9.6 percent), 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. Tables, figures, and references (Published Abstract)