Adolescent Bullying Behavior: Parenting Styles, and Type of Living Place

Abstract

It has been shown that the bullying encountered in all cultures and in every school constitute major problems in schools in Turkey as well. It is thought that one of the complex reasons of the bullying is to live in rural or urban areas. For this study, data were collected from Çankırı province as the rural area and Ankara province as the urban area. This study was conducted with participants from regular high schools, between ages of 14 and 18. Participants were asked to complete the demographic information form, the bully / victim questionnaire, the self-esteem scale, and the parenting-style inventory. The data obtained were then evaluated by comparative statistical analyzes (t-test and ANOVA). The parenting style of rural areas did not significantly differ from the parenting styles of the urban areas. Additionally, there was no relation between the child's bullying or being a victim. However, four different parenting styles demonstrated significant relations with other variables. The limitations and implications were discussed.