Gender as moderator in the relationship between identity formation and bully behaviour among adolescents

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Date
2018-11
Authors
Van der Wateren, Mari
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University of the Free State
Abstract
English: During adolescence, individuals face several social challenges while forming their identities. These social pressures may contribute to increases in risky behaviour such as bully perpetration and bully victimisation. Bully behaviour occurs on all social levels in South Africa and therefore adolescents are confronted with this behaviour from a young age. Males and females form identities in different ways and are confronted with bully behaviour differently. Therefore, the aim of the study was to investigate whether a significant amount of the variance in bully behaviour can be explained by identity formation. The present research study was conducted using a quantitative, non-experimental approach, with a correlational research design. A sample of 168 participants was selected from a high school in the Mangaung area, Bloemfontein, by means of non-probability, convenience sampling. Self-report questionnaires, including a biographic questionnaire, the Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ) and the Forms of Bullying Scale (FBS) with versions to measure bully victimisation (FBS-V) and perpetration (FBS-P), were used to collect data for the research. Physical bullying and psychological bullying were measured and data were analysed by means of regression analyses. In this study, it was found that 2.56% of variance in bully victimisation can be explained by identity formation and 2.62% of variance in psychological bully victimisation can be explained by identity formation. Various significant intercorrelations between the different forms of bully behaviour were observed. It was also concluded that, in the present study, gender did not play a significant moderating role in the relationship between bully behaviour and identity formation. This study contributed to the literature in terms of adolescence, identity formation, bully behaviour and gender. In practical settings, the study contributed to the field of psychology, especially in the contexts of secondary schools where workshops regarding identity formation and bully behaviour can be presented.
Afrikaans: Individue vorm ‘n duidelike identiteit gedurende adolessensie. Identiteitsvorming gaan gepaard met vele sosiale uitdagings wat mag lei tot ‘n toename in risiko gedrag in die vorm van boelie. Boeliegedrag kom voor in alle sosiale kringe in Suid-Afrika en daarom word adolessente reeds op ‘n jong ouderdom met sulke gedrag gekonfronteer. Mans en vroue vorm hul identiteit op verskillende maniere en word daarom op verskillende wyses met boeliegedrag gekonfronteer. Die doel van die studie was dus om te ondersoek of ‘n beduidende hoeveelheid variansie in boeliegedrag verduidelik kan word deur identiteitsvorming. Die huidige navorsingstudie is uitgevoer deur van‘n kwantitatiewe, nie-eksperimentele benadering met ‘n korrelasionele navorsingsontwerp gebruik te maak. ’n Steekproef van 168 deelnemers is gekies vanuit ‘n hoërskool in die Mangaung area, Bloemfontein, deur middel van ‘n nie-waarskynlikheid-, gerieflikheidsteekproef. Self evalueringsvraelyste, insluitend ‘n biografiese vraelys, die Ego Identity Process Questionnaire (EIPQ) en die Forms of Bullying Scale (FBS) met weergawes om boeliegedrag te meet vanuit die perspektief van die slagoffer (FBS-V) en die oortreder (FBS-P), is gebruik om data vir die data in te samel. Fisiese boeliegedrag en sielkundige boeliegedrag is gemeet en data-ontleding is gedoen deur middel van regressie-analises. Die resultate het aangedui dat 2.56% van die variansie in boeliegedrag vanuit die perspektief van die slagoffer verduidelik kan word deur identiteitsvorming, terwyl 2.62% van die variansie in sielkundige boeliegedrag vanuit die perspektief van die slagoffer deur identiteitsvorming verduidelik kan word. Daar is verhoudings gevind tussen fisiese boeliegedrag en sielkundige boeliegedrag, asook tussen boeliegedrag vanuit die perspektief van die slagoffer en boeliegedrag vanuit die perspektief van die oortreder. Dit is ook verklaar dat geslag in hierdie studie nie ‘n modererende rol speel tussen boeliegedrag en identiteitsvorming nie. Die studie dra by tot literatuur in terme van adolessensie, identiteitsvorming, boeliegedrag en geslag. Die studie dra ook prakties by tot die sielkundeveld, veral in die konteks van hoërskole waar werkswinkels oor identiteitsvorming en boeliegedrag aangebied kan word.
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Keywords
Adolescents, Adolescence, Identity formation, Identity status, Bully behaviour, Bully victimisation, Bully perpetration, Psychological bullying, Physical bullying, Gender, Dissertation (M.A. (Counselling Psychology))--University of the Free State, 2018
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