Risk Factors and Psychological Outcomes of School Bullying Among Adolescents in Ghana
Date
2013-06
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Publisher
University of Ghana
Abstract
Building on current knowledge, the primary aim of this study was to examine the association
between self reported bullying and victimisation behaviour and risk factors such as sensation
seeking, and emotional intelligence after controlling for self esteem, parental attachment, age and
gender. The study also examined how bullying and victimisation influence depression and
suicidal ideations. Self-report questionnaires were administered to three hundred and fifty five
(355) adolescent students who were conveniently and randomly sampled from selected Junior
High and Senior High Schools respectively in Accra.
Hierarchical regression was used to analyse and test the hypothesis formulated in the study. The
results obtained showed that sensation seeking and emotional intelligence significantly predicted
bullying perpetration after controlling for age, gender, parental attachment and self-esteem.
Sensation seeking contributed significantly, though modestly, to variance explained in
victimisation behaviour; however, emotional intelligence did not significantly predict
victimisation behaviour after controlling for age, gender, parental attachment and self-esteem.
Bullying and victimisation behaviour were not found to predict depression and suicide ideations
after controlling for age, gender, parental attachment, sensation seeking, emotional intelligence
and self-esteem. These findings can inform school-based intervention with perpetrators and
victims of bullying.
Description
Thesis (MPHIL)-University of Ghana, 2013