The relationship between perceived parenting dimensions, attachment, and pre-adolescent bullying. Issue 2 (3rd March 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Carter, Mariska; van der Watt, Ronél; Esterhuyse, Karel
• Is Part Of: Journal of psychology in Africa. Volume 30:Issue 2(2020)
• Page Start: 106
• Page End: 118
• Publication Date: 2020-03-03
• Subjects: anti-bullying interventions -- bullying perpetration -- parent-child relationship -- puberty -- victimisation; Psychology -- Africa, Sub-Saharan -- Periodicals; Psychology -- Latin America -- Periodicals; Black people -- Latin America -- Psychology -- Periodicals; Black people -- Africa, Sub-Saharan -- Psychology -- Periodicals; 155.8496
• DOI: 10.1080/14330237.2020.1744280
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1433-0237

Abstract

Abstract : This study investigated the mediating and/or moderating role of pre-adolescent learners' perception of their parent-child attachment on the relationships between perceived parenting dimensions (acceptance, firm control, and psychological control) and types of bullying experience (physical, verbal, social-relational, and cyber-bullying). We sampled 1 078 pre-adolescent learners attending primary schools in the Free State, South Africa (black Southern Sotho = 43.1%; white Afrikaans = 56.9%; females = 59.1%; males = 40.9%; mean age = 11.24 years, SD = 0.68 years). The participants completed the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment Revised for Children, the Child's Report of Parental Behaviour Inventory-30, and the Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument: Bully/Target. Hierarchical regression analysis indicated parent-child attachment to mediate the relationships between parental acceptance and bullying experiences, except for verbal bullying perpetration where it acted as a moderator. Parent-child attachment mediated the associations between parental firm control and two types of bullying experiences; namely, physical bullying perpetration and verbal bullying perpetration. Parent-child attachment statuses should inform interventions aimed to address bullying behaviour experiences among pre-adolescents.