PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS OF BULLYING AMONG ADOLESCENT CHILDREN

Abstract

Purpose. The goal of the article is to empirically study the psychological factors of bullying among adolescents in the school environment.

Methods. The following diagnostic tools were used in the study: questionnaire method (author’s questionnaire); methods of diagnosis of acceptance of others; express diagnostics of the level of self-esteem; methods of diagnostics of indicators and forms of aggression by A. Bass and A. Darka (adaptation by A.K. Osnytskyi). The following methods were used to process empirical data: descriptive statistics, correlation and multiple regression analyzes.

Results. The authors include the level of self-esteem, aggression, hostility, and acceptance of others among the personal psychological factors and characteristics of bullying among adolescents. The study found that most adolescents have low self-esteem, average acceptance of others with a tendency to low or low, their level of aggression and hostility is equal to the average and in some cases found a high rate of aggression and hostility to others. Correlation analysis revealed a link between others’ self-esteem, self-esteem, and level of aggression. That is, low levels of acceptance of others and low self-esteem are associated with increased levels of aggression and hostility towards others, hostility towards peers, difficulties in establishing friendly relations, envy, unwillingness to work in a group, and so on. An empirical study has found that adolescents who have been involved in bullying, either as a passive observer or as bullies themselves, have the highest levels of hostility. That is why the hostility rate was chosen as a dependent variable for multiple regression analysis in the study of bullying. The results of multiple regression analysis show that adolescents’ hostility is due to low levels of acceptance of others, which is manifested in judgmental, contemptuous or critical attitude towards others, aggression, and inadequate self-esteem.

Conclusions. The obtained results show that among the factors of bullying can be distinguished inadequate self-esteem, high levels of aggression, and adolescents’ hostility to their environment.