Specific parenting practices and the relationship with bullying outcomes in middle school students

Abstract

This research attempted to better understand predictors of bullying-related outcomes in middle school students. In particular, this research considered more proximal contextual factors that are generally ignored in school-based bullying prevention programs. The effects of particular parenting practices as identified by previous research were included as predictors of bullying victimization and perpetration. In addition, this research considered the youth's impulsivity, as this characteristic has been shown to influence rates of bullying perpetration and victimization as well as shape parenting behaviors. This study used a quantitative methodology to identify predictors of bullying-related behavior, with the goal of informing both bullying prevention and parenting intervention programs. This study is unique in that it used a longitudinal data set, was ethnically diverse, and included videotaped parent-youth interactions in addition to various self-report measures of parenting. Parenting practices generally were not associated with bullying outcomes, with the exception of observed warmth and monitoring. A significant interaction between youth impulsivity and observed parenting was found, resulting in different bullying-related outcomes. Findings were generally in the opposite direction than predicted and yielded interesting results regarding the relationship of parenting practices and impulsivity with involvement in bullying. This study emphasizes the importance of incorporating the youth's social context in addition to viewing parenting practices along a continuum rather than as a dichotomous practice.