Parents’ Responses to Coping with Bullying: Variations by Adolescents’ Self-Reported Victimization and Parents’ Awareness of Bullying Involvement

Abstract

Bullying has been recognized as an important risk factor for mental health. A growing number of researchers have encouraged parents to work collaboratively with schools to prevent and intervene in bullying situations. This study explores the relationship between parents' awareness of bullying involvement, adolescents' self-reported victimization, and six possible parents' responses to their child's victimization. The participants were 1044 seventh-tenth grade students and their parents. Logistic regressions analyses were applied to determine if parents' awareness of victimization and adolescents' self-reporting of victimization were associated with parents' responses to bullying victimization. The results showed that parents' awareness of bullying and adolescents' self-reported victimization were only associated with the "defends herself/himself" and "talks to bully" response. In other words, the parents who believe their child has been bullied are less likely to encourage their children to talk with the bully, and when children are victimized, it is less likely that their parents will encourage them to defend themselves or talk with the bully.

Parental Communication and Feelings of Affiliation in Adolescent Aggressors and Victims of Cyberbullying

“…Indeed, our work has also demonstrated that cybervictims, like cyberbullies, perceive less open communication and more avoidant communication with both parents compared to adolescents not involved in cyberbullying. This result is consistent with previous studies that also detect a greater deterioration in family communication in victims of cyberbullying (Appel et al 2014;Larrañaga et al 2018). Likewise, studies on traditional bullying have discovered that poor quality in the family climate, and especially parent-child communication, is a risk factor for school victimization (Cava 2011;Cerezo 2006).…”

The Role of Family in Bullying and Cyberbullying Involvement: Examining a New Typology of Parental Education Management Based on Adolescents’ View of Their Parents

“…Abusive practices by the parents, such as physical punishment and psychological aggression, accompanied by a lack of affection and poor communication, little promotion of autonomy, and excessive behavioral control, which all combine to increase their children's vulnerability and make them more prone to victimization or bullying at school or behind a screen (Gómez-Ortiz et al 2015). These findings highlight the importance to include parents as a key element of intervention and prevention programs not only to increase their awareness about their role in the development of these violent phenomena and improve their parenting skills, but also to teach them the best way to help their children cope with bullying and cyberbullying involvement (Larrañaga et al 2018). In this sense, the intervention should guide parents to become in "indulgent democratics," which means to promote affect, communication, and autonomy showing also a positive humor.…”

Community Characteristics, Victimization, and Psychological Adjustment Among School-Aged Adopted Children With Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Parents

“…Although much of the research on victimization has focused on children's experiences, there is growing attention to the role of parents with regard to how they respond to and help their children cope with victimization. Parents may respond to victimization by contacting the school, talking to their child, or talking to the perpetrator's parents (Waasdorp et al, 2011;Larrañaga et al, 2018;Lindstrom et al, 2019). Research with parents of victimized youth in elementary, middle, and high school suggests that most parents respond by talking to their child about victimization and/or contacting the school (Waasdorp et al, 2011;Lindstrom et al, 2019).…”

“…Research with parents of victimized youth in elementary, middle, and high school suggests that most parents respond by talking to their child about victimization and/or contacting the school (Waasdorp et al, 2011;Lindstrom et al, 2019). Less frequently endorsed responses include talking to the bully's parents and controlling the child's internet access (Larrañaga et al, 2018). Although little work has examined the question of which of these represent the most ideal or effective responses, qualitative research suggests that children worry that parents contacting the bully or the bully's parents may make the bullying worse (Mishna et al, 2006).…”

“…Child age and gender may also impact parents' responses. A study of parents of 7th-10th graders found that parents of younger children were more likely to contact a teacher or school staff member or control internet/cellphone use in response to victimization, whereas parents of older children were more likely to encourage them to defend themselves (Larrañaga et al, 2018). Parents of girls were more likely to tell their children to ignore the problem or do nothing than parents of boys (Larrañaga et al, 2018).…”