Personality Traits Determining Bullying Behaviour

Methodology

Aim:

To study the personality traits of bullying behaviour among adolescents.

Objectives

• To assess the effect of personality traits (psychotic, extroversion) for bullying behavior.
• To study the correlation (psychotic, extroversion) between personality traits and bullying behavior.

Hypothesis

• There will be a significant effect of personality traits (psychotic and extrovert) on bullying behavior among children.
• There will be a significant relation between personality traits and bullying behavior.

Sample

Sample Size: 120 (both male and female)

Age: 15-17 year

Location: Delhi/NCR

Socio-Economic Status: Upper-middle class/high class

Research Design

Ex post facto design will be used. It is a quasi-experimental study behaviour of independent variables affecting a particular dependent variable.

Variable

Personality traits and bullying behaviour

Tool Representation

Procedure

Participants were first selected based on their field of age and were contacted via visiting a school. Respective teacher of the class were oriented first about the study and methodology on conducting the test. Children's were then given initial instructions about the study. Rapport was developed with them and they were given test papers. There was no time-limit set for the completion of the test. Frequently the participants were asked not to leave any question, and that they fill whatever comes to their mind first. They were also helped in understanding questions that created confusion. After the completion of the test, participants and teacher were thanked.

Statistical analysis

The significance and difference are computed using Mean, SD, T test and Regression to meet the objective.

Analysis of Results

To assess the effect of personality trait on bullying behaviour and its effect on bullying behaviour, the following section contains the detailed analysis of result that was found as a result of analysing raw score. Variables that are included in the study are psychoticism, extraversion, bully and fight. These are the predictors of the personality trait and bullying behaviour.

Table 1. Mean and SD of all subscales

Figure 1. Mean and SD of all subscales

Table 1 indicates the mean and SD of all the variables included in the study. Subscales of Personality traits included Psychoticism and Extraversion. Psychoticism, mean was found to be 7.59 (N = 120, SD = 3.424), for which the maximum value was XX. While for the Extraversion, mean was found to be 14.72 (N = 120, SD = 3.498), for which the maximum value was XX.

For Bullying behaviour, Bully and Fight were used as a subscale. Mean of Bully subscale was found to be 7.18 (N = 120, SD = 5.489), for which the maximum score is XX. While for Fight subscale, the mean value was found to be 4.66 (N = 120, SD = 4.127), for which the maximum value is XX. Figure 1 indicates the same result on the line graph with standard deviation shown as vertical range line to signify the spectrum in which particular subscale varied over the entire sample size.

Correlation of bullying behaviour with personality traits was done to observe the relation between these variables. Result of which is shows below.

Table 2. Correlation of variables

*. Correlation is significant at the 0.05 level.

Table 2 illustrates that there was a non-significant positive relationship observed between Psychoticism and Bully subscale (r = .149; p > .05). While between Psychoticism and Bully subscale there was significant positive relationship observed (r = .192; p < .05). And for Extraversion, a positive non-significant correlation was observed with Bully subscale (r = .154; p > .05). For the Fight subscale, a positive non-significant correlation was observed (r = .125; p > .05).

Linear regression was used to analyse the effect of personality trait on bullying behaviour, result table is as given below.

Table 3. Regression table

*. relation is significant at the 0.05 level.

To predict Bully subscale based on Psychoticism and Extraversion, a significant regression equation was found (F(1,117) = 3.521; p (.033) < .05), with R² of .057. Individuals' predicted Bully value as found is .561 + .297 (Psychoticism) + .297 (Extraversion). Individuals' Bully value increased .297 for each unit of both Psychoticism and Extraversion with overall addition of .561.

To predict Fight subscale based on Psychoticism and Extraversion, a significant regression equation was found (F(1,117) = 3.979; p (.021) < .05), with R² of .064. Individuals' predicted Fight value as found is -.290 + .269 (Psychoticism) + .197 (Extraversion). Individuals' Fight value increased .269 for each unit of Psychoticism and .197 for each unit of Extraversion with overall subtraction of .290.

Discussion

The research aims to understand personality aspect of bullying behaviour among children of 15-17 years of age. This will help us identify different type of personality in adolescents that drive them towards either victim or bully. Previous studies have identified environmental aspect of the cause of the bully/victim. The consequences of bully/victim have been identified in terms of their emotions and anger, which manifested in steps controlling such effects. Cyber bullying have been coined recently and has seen increased number of cases, which is troubling increment in terms of victimization and bully behavior. Several interventions have been planned and implemented in schools, but the effect of such studies are still debatable, as standardization could not be done at larger scale. Even coping mechanism can be understood extrinsically from such study. Interventions thus can have meaningful impact in all the directions.

Bullying is a typical behavior that adversely impacts the lives of up to a huge number of young people every year. Schools are a noteworthy scene for bullying behaviors that tend to persist during adolescence and at later stages of life. We adopted a transformative perspective that highlights the structures and elements of bullying to comprehend bullying against adolescents (Volk et al., 2016).

Directions on the personality of bully/victim has not been researched much. A research by Ståle, (2003)  researched bullying as a means to pertain their arrogant and narcissistic behavior or a tool to enhance self-esteem, conceal anxiety and shame. Adverse factors like depression, aggressive behavior, preserving self-image were also found. Campbell et al., (2011) unraveled cause of various perceptions in adolescents for why some bully others in real and cyber arrangements. Several interviews followed by review was a method that measured above perceptions.

Some studied characteristics of bullying identified as isolation, depression, lack of hope and low self-esteem. An increase in prevalence of suicidal and depression among adolescents was seen in victims than controlled group. Restlessness in financial circumstances was associated with increased levels in depression in adolescents. (Faith et al., 2015, Pranjić et al., 2010). This shows the effect that bullying imparts in a child along with the environment they are in. It is thus important to understand the underlying factors of some child being the victim or perpetrator of bullying. Bullying have long-run negative consequences. It may produce negative emotions such as anger, frustration, depression or anxiety which may lead to a corrective action in terms of wrongdoing, self-harm, suicide etc. (Patchin et al., 2011, Varjas et al., 2008, Kim et al., 2008).

As quoted by Cook (2010), "academic trouble and maladjustment with others is observed with a regular bully. Negative attitudes, beliefs towards themselves and others is felt by them. Even conflict and improper parenting, and negative perception for school is also observed". It is important for any researcher to identify the base of all the positive effects that happen. That way they can develop interventions to either rescue or help them from the effects.

An understanding can be made that those in the middle continuum of the social hierarchy have high intensity to bully someone. Some even identifies low family income and not feeling sage with one's parents as the cause contradicting above research.

Major bullying is done via internet or phone, and has been termed as cyber bullying in recent times. Studies to support this found several cases of cyber bullying has been identified in recent times (Hinduja, 2008). They also identified the victims of cyber-bullying likewise encounters stress or strain that is identified with offline problem behaviors, for example, running away from home, undermining a school test, skipping school, or consuming alcohol or marijuana.

Results as obtained from this study comply with above studies and shows that there is no significant relation between psychoticism and bully behaviour, while there is significant effect of psychoticism on Fight behaviour of the child. This could be important to understand how psychoticism relates to any individual. Along with that, there was no significant effect found for extraversion on Bully and Fight behaviour. Which is contradictory to what Cook (2010) suggested, that the children become bullies as they lack social problem-solving skills.

Regression analysis suggests a weak significant relationship of personality traits with Bully and Fight. A prediction value as low as 6-6.5 per cent was seen using Psychoticism and Extraversion. This even strengthen the above result of Extraversion and Psychoticism as a weak predictor of bullying behaviour among children of this category. Value for Bully and Fight equation using Psychoticism and Extraversion as an indicator, indicates additive base value for Bully while negative base value for Fight. This could mean with increase in Psychoticism and Extraversion, Fight value would decrease compared to percentile increase in Bully.