TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title page i
Certification ii
Dedication
Acknowledgement iv
Table of Contents vi
List of Tables
Abstract
CHAPTER
ONE: INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study 1
Statement of the Problem 10
Research Questions 15
Research Hypotheses 14
Purpose of the Study 15
Significance of the Study 15
Operational Definitions of
Terms 16
Scope of the Study 17
CHAPTER
TWO: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE
Preamble 18
Concept of parenting styles 18
Categories of parenting
styles 20
Concept and Nature of
Bullying Behaviour 28
Types of Bullying Behaviour 32
Prevalence of Bullying
Behaviour 33
Influence of Parenting Style
on Bullying Behaviour of In-School Adolescents 35
Empirical Studies on
Influence of Parenting Style on Bullying Behaviour
of In-School Adolescents 39
Summary of the Reviewed
Related Literature 46
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
Preamble 48
Research Design 48
Population, Sample and
Sampling Techniques 48
Instrumentation 50
Psychometric Properties of
the Instrument 50
Procedure for Administration
and Collection of Data 51
Procedure for Scoring 52
Method of Data Analysis 53
CHAPTER
FOUR: RESULTS
Preamble 54
Demographic Data 54
Hypotheses Testing 59
Summary of the Findings 65
CHAPTER
FIVE
DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND
RECOMMENDATIONS
Preamble 68
Discussion 68
Conclusion 73
Implications for Counselling 74
Recommendations 75
Suggestions for Further
Studies 76
REFERENCES 77
APPENDIX 88
LIST OF TABLES
Table
1: Percentage Distribution of Respondents Based on
Gender 55
Table 2: Percentage Distribution of Respondents Based
on Age 55
Table
3: Percentage Distribution of
respondents based on Religion 56
Table 4: Percentage Distribution of
Respondents Based on Class 56
Table 5: Mean and Rank Order of the
Parenting Styles Experienced by the
Respondents
57
Table 6:
Mean and Rank Order of the Respondents’ Bullying
Behaviour 58
Table 7: Pearson ‘r’ Showing
Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Respondents 59
Table 8: Pearson ‘r’ Showing Relationship
between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Younger Respondents 60
Table 9: Pearson ‘r’ Showing
Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Older Respondents 61
Table 10: Pearson ‘r’ Showing
Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Male Respondents 61
Table 11: Pearson
‘r’ Showing Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Female Respondents 62
Table 12: Pearson
‘r’ Showing Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Senior Secondary Respondents 63
Table 13: Pearson
‘r’ Showing Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Junior Secondary Respondents 64
Table 14: Pearson ‘r’
Showing Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Non-Muslim Respondents 64
Table 15: Pearson ‘r’
Showing Relationship between Parenting Styles and
Bullying
Behaviour of the Muslim Respondents 65
ABSTRACT
Bullying at school is a
serious issue for a long time. The relationship between parents and children
possesses certain characteristics that explain permanent impact of one upon the
other. This
study investigated influence of parenting styles on bullying behaviour of
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
The study was a survey research. The population
of this study comprised all in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis while
300 respondents were used as sample size in the study. A questionnaire titled “Influence of
Parenting Styles on Bullying Behaviour Questionnaire” (IPSBBQ) was used as an
instrument to collect data needed for the study. The variables taken into
consideration were gender, age, religion and class. Mean and rank order analysis
were used to answer the main research questions while the nine null hypotheses
formulated were tested using Pearson’s Product Moment Correlation (PPMC)
statistical techniques.
The findings of the study revealed that parents
do set limits for me in terms of behaviours; interact with me very well; and expect
me to follow rules and regulations they set out. The findings also revealed that in-school
adolescents do not engaged in bullying behaviours in the sense that, in the
last 6 weeks, respondents were not beaten up by someone stronger than they are;
subjected to punishment by someone stronger than they are; threaten by someone
stronger than they are. It was also
found that there significant relationship existed between parenting styles and
bullying behaviour of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis. Also, there
was significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis based on age, gender, religion and in-school
adolescents from senior school but no significant relationship was found
between the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of in-school adolescents from junior school.
Based on the findings of this study, it is
recommended that parents are here by
encouraged to improve on their relationship with their adolescents and choose
the right parenting style that will help the adolescents to behave socially
among his peer group and perform well in the academic aspects. The counsellors in educational system should
make efforts in ensuring that in- school adolescents’ unwanted behaviours are
modified through behavioural modification process. The government should as a matter of urgency map out
programmes that will improve the standard of living of in- school adolescents’
parents so that they can properly cater for their children.
CHAPTER
ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background to the Study
Parental
strategy in rearing children has a significant impact on children’s
developmental outcomes. Theoretically, it could be expected that negative parenting
characteristics, including strictness, neglect, control, punishment, and lack
of support will potentially lead to subsequent child behavioural problems such
as emotional problems and misconduct at school. Parents
provide the contexts for children learn pro-social strategies by scheduling
extracurricular activities, nurture social competence and emotional well-being.
As per a family systems approach the relationships between siblings is also
likely to impact school bullying through shared personal and environmental
characteristics (Duncan, 2004; Wolke &
Skew, 2012).
Parenting
is a complicated occupation that requires many different skills. It is the
process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and
intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood (Davies, 2000).
It is a term that summarizes behaviours used by a parent to raise a child.
Parenting is the way children are been reared or brought up, that is, child
rearing employed by parents in training and bringing up their children from
cradle to grave (Olujinmi, 2012). Parenting practices around the world share
three major goals: ensuring children’s health and safety, preparing children
for life as productive adults and transmitting cultural values. A high-quality
parent-child relationship is critical for healthy development. Parenting styles
have been found to predict the child’s wellbeing in terms of social competence,
academic performance, psychological development and problem behaviour. Its
influence on the lives of adolescent is very vital (Alegre, 2008).
Okpoko
(2004) and Utti (2006) defined parenting as the act of parenthood and child
upbringing. Wikipedia (2012) also defines parenting as the process of promoting
and supporting the physical, emotional, and intellectual development of a child
from infancy to adulthood. For the present study, the researchers define
parenting as the skill of moulding, shaping, guiding and supporting the
development of an individual from infancy to adulthood. Parenting provides
children opportunities for the acquisition of skills and experiences necessary
for the achievement of goals in adulthood. It plays a key role in the overall
development of the child. Such roles are social, educational and other adaptive
behaviours that prepare the child for future fruitful living (Kelland, 2000).
Individuals carry out this function of parenting differently, because of
differences in personalities and exposure, giving rise to different parenting
styles. Parenting style is a universal climate in which families function and
in which child rearing behaviour of parents or other primary care givers
revolve (Chiew, 2011). Kelland (2000) observes that where an ideal parenting
style is employed in the home, the children are disciplined but where this is
not, the reverse is the case. In this study, parenting style is referred to as
how a person or a parent interacts with his or her children or wards. It also
refers to the different patterns that parents use to bring up their children.
A
parenting style is the overall emotional climate in the home. It is a
psychological construct representing standard strategies that parents use in
child rearing. Parental investment starts soon after birth. Parenting styles
can be said to be the overall approach parents take to guiding, control and
socializing their children, the attitudes that parents have about their
children and the resulting emotional climate that is created (Spera, 2005).
Also, it can be said to be specific practices with which parents influence
their children (Gwen, 2010). Parenting style is affected by both the parent’s
and the children’s temperaments and is largely based on the influence of one’s
own parents, culture, family type and the relationship between the parents
(Alegre, 2008). Many parents create their own style from a combination of
factors and these may evolve over time as the children develop their
personalities and move through life’s stages.
Basically,
parenting style was classified based on four dimensions these include child
rearing: parental control, parental communication, parental maturity demands
and parental nurturance (Alegre, 2008).
Baumrind (1967) and Olujinmi (2012) classified parent interactive styles
into four major groups and they are Authoritarian, permissive, democratic or uninvolved
parents.
Authoritarian
parenting is a restrictive, punitive parenting style in which parents makes
their children follow their direction and respect their work and effort. It
emphasizes obedience above all else. Authoritative parenting is child-centred
with parents communicating positive attitudes toward their children and
encouraging the development of self-enhancing attribute (Meteyer & Jenkins,
2009). Permissive parenting is one of which parents are very involved with
their children but place few demands or control on them. They are nurturing and
accepting, and are responsive to the child’s needs and wishes. Permissive
parents do not present themselves as authority figures or role models. They try
to be friends with their children and do not play a parental role (Rosenthan,
2002). Democratic parenting is characterized by few demands, low responsiveness
and little communication. Uninvolved parents are unaware or indifferent to
their child’s developmental needs; they are inconsistent with emotion,
affection and discipline, and range from not reacting at all to their child’s behaviour
to tremendous over reaction (Pellerin, 2005). They are detached and emotionally
disengaged.
Through
the long history of research on parenting, significant correlations have been
found between parenting styles and children’s typical behaviour. Authoritarian
parents tend to have children who are more likely to be irritable and
conflicted, showing signs of both anxiety and anger, not socially skilful and
are susceptible to being bullied. Authoritative parenting produces many
positive outcomes in children: adaptability, competence and achievement, good
social skills and peer acceptance and low levels of antisocial or aggressive behaviour.
Permissive parents are more likely to have exhibit uncontrolled, impulsive behaviours
and low levels of self-reliance, low on cognitive competence and social agency.
Children of uninvolved parents are likely to be impulsive, to show high level
of both externalizing problems (e.g. aggressive) and internalizing problems
(e.g. depression) and to have low self-esteem (Broderick & Blewitt, 2010).
Parenting
styles are different manners of parents' child relationship. Parenting is a
complex activity that includes specific behaviours that work individually and
together to influence the child. Although specific parenting behaviours, such
as spanking or reading aloud, may influence the child's development, looking at
any specific behaviour in isolation may be misleading. However, there are
people who have noted that specific parenting practices are less important in
predicting child well-being than is the broad pattern of parenting. Most
researchers who attempt to describe this broad parental milieu rely on Diana
Baumrind's concept of parenting style. The construct of parenting style is used
to capture normal variations in parents' attempts to control and socialize
their children (Baumrind, 1991; Aunola & Nurmi, 2005). There are two things
that are critical in understanding this definition.
First,
parenting style is meant to describe normal variations in parenting. In other
words, the parenting style typology developed by Baumrind should not be
understood to include deviant parenting, such as might be observed in abusive
or neglectful homes. Second, it is assumed that normal parenting revolves
around issues of control. Although parents may differ in how they try to
control or socialize their children and the extent to which they do so, it is
believed that the primary role of all parents is to influence, teach, and
control their children but could also lead to children bullying behaviour (Aunola
& Nurmi, 2005).
Bullying
has since been regarded as a global behavioural problem that occurs in schools.
Indeed, the phenomenon of bullying behaviour has increasingly become a
worldwide problem that demands the attention of all stake holders in the educational
system. This situation appears to have reached a stage where it can be said
that almost every student has been bullied or involved in bullying at one time
or another during their educational programme or career (Rigby, 2007).
Bullying
is a distinct form of aggression characterised by a repeated and systematic
abuse of power. Bullying occurs when one or more students seek to have power
over another student through the use of verbal, physical or emotional
harassment, intimidation or even isolation (Zirpoly, 2009). According to
Mitsopoulou and Giovazolias (2013), bullying is an intentional, continual
aggressive behaviour towards a person, the victim, who cannot defend himself,
and this usually involves an imbalance of power between the aggressor and the
victim. Any behaviour a person exhibits, with the intention to hurt another
person physically or psychologically, for no just cause, is considered an act
of bullying (Nwokolo, Ayamene & Efobi, 2011). Giving reference to British
legal definition, Kim (2004) saw bullying as a long-standing violence, physical
or psychological, carried out by an individual or a group and directed against
an individual, who is not able to defend himself in the actual situation, with
a conscious desire to hurt, threaten or frighten the individual or put him
under stress.
There
are several types of bullying in schools. Bullying can take many forms as in
direct bullying, indirect bullying and Cyber bullying. Direct bullying can be
physical assault on the victims or verbal attack. School bullies often result
to teasing and taunting their victims, verbal attacks, shoving etc. Indirect
bullying is more to verbal and social behaviour. Bullies will verbally and
emotionally attack their victims. Such as, spreading inaccurate rumours about a
person, spoilt their reputation, practical jokes, shunning etc.
A
new and emerging form of school bullying is the Cyber-bullying. This involves
the use of information and communication technologies such as e-mail, cell
phone and paper text-messages, instant messages, defamatory personas websites
to support deliberate, repeated, and hostile behaviour by an individual or
group that intended to harm others (Wollare, 2006)
Bullying
in schools inherently affects the school climate and school atmosphere, as well
as impacting on perceptions of safety at school. Bullying creates a climate of
fear among students, inhibits their ability to learn which usually result in
activities such as vandalism, boycott of lectures, disruption of school
programmes, skipping school, high rate of adolescents out of school, loss of
lives and properties and closing down of schools in some cases (Okulaja, 2010).
The effects of bullying can be serious and even fatal. Unfortunately, it is
dangerously underrated as schools and adults are not taking the problems
seriously enough (Kumpulainen, 2008; Egbochuku, 2007).
A
number of factors can be responsible for the development of the attitude of
bullying in students. According to Neto (2005), the world outside the school is
reproduced within the school. Also Cook, Guerra, Kim and Sadek (2010) believe
that factors like family home environment, school climate, community factors,
peer status and peer influence can be related to bullying behaviour.
However,
the presence of negative parenting techniques such as poor supervision,
inconsistent discipline and corporal punishment may contribute to children
displaying negative behaviour (Essau, Sasagawa, & Frick, 2006; Gutman &
Vorhaus, 2012). In addition, Gámez-Guadix, Straus, Carrobles, Muñoz-Rivas and
Almendros (2010) found that parents using corporal punishment significantly
increased the probability of their children expressing antisocial traits or
negative behaviours. Further, Mulvaney and Mebert (2007) showed a significant
correlation between corporal punishment and negative behavioural adjustment
among children. In addition, Van As and Janssens (2012) also proposed that the
poor quality of parent-child interaction and the lack of parental support are
related to children’s behavioural problems. Broadly speaking, an empirical body
of literature has established that corporal punishment, characterized by
screaming, yelling, shouting, slapping, and hitting a child, was found to be
related to children’s behavioural problems. Overall, the findings emerging from
the above studies point to the conclusion that negative parent-child rearing
practices are associated with children’s behavioural problems.
Nevertheless,
there is much debate and controversy within the literature of the relative impact
of parenting styles and cultural effects. Although some studies support an
association between parenting styles and their child’s outcomes, some evidence
suggests that this relation may differ across cultures (Dai, 2009;
Deater-Deater-Deckard, Dodge, Bates, & Pettit, 2006; Huntsinger & Jose,
2009; Stormshak, Bierman, McMahon & Lengua, 2000). For instance, physical
discipline has been found to be positively associated with higher externalising
and aggression scores in European American children, but in African American
children this correlation was negligible and non-significant (Deater-Deckard,
et al., 2006).
Chao
(2001) reported that Chinese American youth raised in an authoritative
parenting style did not show higher school attainment than their peers with
authoritarian parents. It was concluded that authoritative parenting styles
have less effect for Asian American children than for their European American
counterparts. Furthermore, it is suggested that a proportion of parents in
Eastern and Islamic societies believe that parents should be firm and
restrictive. The idea that an authoritarian parenting style is desirable may
stem from the parents’ belief that this
will lead to positive consequences for
children’s social and academic lives, and lead to their children learning to
value discipline, norms and social hierarchy (Alsheikh, Parameswaran &
Elhoweris, 2010).
However,
inconsistent with the above notion related to the eastern culture, a study of
262 Syrian pre-school children showed that authoritarian, harshness, rejection
and neglect parenting styles were negatively related to children’s personal and
social adjustment; whereas , democratic styles were positively associated with
children’s social adjustment (Muhriz, Ahmad, & Al-Atum, 2005). Yet, the
contradictory findings indicate that the effect of varying parenting styles is
mixed and possibly inconsistent, particularly among eastern societies. From
this perspective, further investigation concerning the role of parenting styles
among non-western societies is essential. Based on these differences in the
effect of parenting styles across cultures it can be suggested that
generalizations about parenting styles and their effect on children should be
viewed with caution.
Fielder
(2008) believed that the development of bullying can be viewed as part of a
large process of interaction, with the home at its root. Thus he opined that
bullying behaviour is to a great extent believed to be a by-product of family
dynamics. Likewise researchers observed that the quality of the environment and
the family can be linked to the adolescents’ relationship and behaviour at the
school (Joronen & Astett-kurki, 2005; Fielder, 2008, Cook, et al, 2010).
All these point to the possible link between bullying and familial factors.
Thus the present study seeks to specifically look into the influence of
parenting styles on bullying behaviour of in-school adolescents in Ilorin
metropolis.
To
the best of the researcher’s knowledge, none of these studies have focused on
the influence of parenting styles on bullying behaviour of in-school
adolescents in Ilorin metropolis. Therefore, this is the gap which the present
research intends to bridge.
Research Questions
The following research questions were raised to guide
the conduct of this study:
1.
What
are the influences of parenting styles experienced by in-school adolescents in
Ilorin metropolis?
2.
What
are the bullying behaviours of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
3.
Is
there any relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
4.
Is
there any relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of young
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
5.
Is
there any relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of older
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
6.
Is
there any relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of male
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
7.
Is
there any relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of female
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
8.
Is
there any relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of
private school in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
9.
Is
there any relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour of public
school in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis?
10. Is there any relationship in the parenting
styles and bullying behaviour of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis
that practices Christianity?
11. Is there any relationship in the parenting
styles and bullying behaviour of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis
that practices Islam?
Research Hypotheses
The following null hypotheses have been postulated
for testing in this study:
1.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
2.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of young in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
3.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of older in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
4.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of male in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
5.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of female in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
6.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of senior secondary school in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
7.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of junior secondary in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis.
8.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis that practices Christianity.
9.
There
is no significant relationship in the parenting styles and bullying behaviour
of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis that practices Islam.
Purpose of the Study
The
main focus of this study is to investigate the influence of parenting styles on
bullying behaviour of in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis. Basically,
the study will investigate whether there are significant differences in the
perception of in-school adolescents in terms of moderating variables of gender,
age, religion and class level.
Significance of the Study
The
findings of this study would be of benefit to parents, in-school adolescents,
school counsellor, school authority and teachers. The study would benefit
parents in the various home, the findings of this study could help them gain
insight on the influence of parenting styles on children behaviour especially
bullying behaviours. This would assist to see the need to adjust their child
rearing practices and seek necessary assistance. To the in-school adolescents,
the findings will assist them to understand how bullying behaviour is
influenced by parenting styles. Thus, may intimate them of taking necessary
steps in addressing the behaviour.
To
the school counsellors, it will assist them to know causes of bullying
behaviour, especially influence of parenting styles on bullying behaviours of
students and to develop appropriate strategies to assist parent in adopting
appropriate parenting style that will not lead to bullying. The study provides
the need for school counsellors to identify victims, prevent victimization, and
helping students to interact in more appropriate way with their school mates.
The
study provides greater insight to the school administrators, managers and
teachers on the negative influence of parenting styles and bullying behaviour
on victims. Finally, The findings will also informs teacher’s understanding on
influence of parenting styles on bullying behaviour of in-school adolescents
and also informs teacher preparation colleges and educational curriculum
developers to improve their programme so that teachers can be more effective in
dealing with bullying among in-school adolescents.
Operational Definition of
Terms
The
following terms are operationally defined as used in the study:
Bullying: A systematic abuse of power in school
which now can be defined as aggressiveness or violent
behaviour on victims who failed to defend themselves.
Parenting Style: This refers to child-rearing strategy
employed by parents in bringing up their children
such as authoritarian, permissive, authoritative etc.
In-school Adolescents: These are secondary school students
within the age range of 10-20 years in
Ilorin metropolis.
Scope of study
This
study, investigate the influence of parenting styles on bullying behaviour of
in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis. The study population for this study
comprise of all in-school adolescents in Ilorin metropolis, while the sample
for the study comprise selected in-school adolescents drawn from various
schools in Ilorin metropolis. Eight secondary schools were randomly selected in
Ilorin metropolis using dip-hat sampling method. Random sampling technique was
used to select 400 respondents from eight selected secondary schools. The
research study used questionnaire as an instrument to collect data; Pearson’s
Product Moment Correlation was employed as statistical tool to analyze the
hypotheses generated for this study at 0.05 level of significance.
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