Skip to main content
Log in

The relationship between bullying, victimization, trait emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and empathy among preadolescents

  • Published:
Social Psychology of Education Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between bullying, victimization and a number of social-emotional variables such as trait emotional intelligence, empathy and self-efficacy in 206 elementary school 6th graders in Greece. Results indicated that boys reported significantly more direct and indirect bullying behaviors than girls, and higher victimization. Bullying was negatively correlated with overall self-efficacy and its academic component, trait emotional intelligence, empathy and its cognitive component, while victimization was negatively correlated with overall self-efficacy and its three dimensions, trait emotional intelligence, affective and cognitive empathy. Gender, trait emotional intelligence, and cognitive empathy significantly predicted bullying, whereas victimization was predicted by gender, trait emotional intelligence and affective empathy.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andreou E. (2004) Bully/victim problems and their association with machiavellianism and self-efficacy in Greek primary school children. British Journal of Educational Psychology 74: 297–309

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Andreou E., Metallidou P. (2004) The relationship of academic and social cognition in behavior in bullying situations among Greek primary school children. Educational Psychology 24: 27–41

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arsenio W. F., Lemerise E. A. (2001) Varieties of childhood bullying: Values, emotion processes and social competence. Social Development 10: 59–73

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arora C. M. J., Thompson D. A. (1987) Defining bullying for a secondary school. Educational and Child Psychology 4: 110–120

    Google Scholar 

  • Austin E. J., Saklofske D. H., Egan V. (2005) Personality, well-being and health correlates of trait emotional intelligence. Personality and Individual Difference 38: 547–558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A. (1977) Social learning theory. Prentice Hall, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A. (1997) Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bandura A. (1999) Social cognitive theory of personality. In: Pervin L. A., John O. P (eds) Handbook of personality (2nd ed.). Guilford, New York, pp 154–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Bjorkqvist K., Lagerspetz K. M. J., Kaukiainen A. (1992) Do girls manipulate and boys fight? Developmental trends in regard to direct and indirect aggression. Aggressive Behavior 18: 117–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bronson M. B. (2000) Recognizing and supporting the development of self-regulation in young children. Young Children 55: 32–37

    Google Scholar 

  • Caprara G. V., Barbaranelli C., Pastorelli C., Cervone D. (2004) The contribution of self-efficacy beliefs to psychological outcomes in adolescence: Predicting beyond global dispositional tendencies. Personality and Individual Differences 37: 751–763

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Champion K., Vernberg E., Shipman K. (2003) Nonbullying victims of bullies: Aggression, social skills, and friendship characteristics. Applied Developmental Psychology 24: 535–551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ciarrochi J. V., Chan A. Y. C., Bajgar J. (2001) Measuring emotional intelligence in adolescents. Personality and Individual Differences 31: 1105–1119

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Crick N. R., Grotpeter J. K. (1995) Relational aggression, gender, and social-psychological adjustment. Child Development 66: 710–722

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Davis M. H. (1980) A multidimensional approach to individual differences in empathy. JSAS Catalog of Selected Documents in Psychology 10: 85

    Google Scholar 

  • Davis M. H. (1994) Empathy, a social psychological approach. Wm. Brown C. Communications Inc, USA

    Google Scholar 

  • Erath S. A., Flanagan K. S., Bierman K. L., Tu K. M. (2010) Friendships moderate psychosocial maladjustment in socially anxious early adolescents. Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology 31: 15–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garner P. W., Lemerise E. A. (2007) The roles of behavioral adjustment and conceptions of peers and emotions in preschool children’s peer victimization. Development and Psychopathology 19: 57–71

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garton A., Gringart E. (2005) The development of a scale to measure empathy in 8- and 9-year old children. The Australian Journal of Educational and Developmental Psychology 5: 17–25

    Google Scholar 

  • Gini G., Albiero P., Benelli B., Altoe G. (2007) Does empathy predict adolescents’ bullying and defending behavior?. Aggressive Behavior 33: 1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goleman D. (1995) Emotional intelligence: Why it can matter more than IQ. Bantam, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Griffin R. S., Gross M. A. (2004) Childhood bullying: Current empirical findings and future directions for research. Aggression and Violent behavior 9: 379–400

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harter S. (1990) Causes, correlates, and the functional role of global self-worth: A life-span perspective. In: Sternberg R.J., Kolligian J. (eds) Competence considered. Yale University Press, New Haven, CT, pp 67–97

    Google Scholar 

  • Hogan R. (1969) Development of an empathy scale. Journal of Consulting Clinical Psychology 33: 307–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Houndoumadi A., Pateraki L. (2001) Bullying and bullies in Greek elementary schools: Pupils’ attitudes and teachers’/parents’ awareness. Educational Review 53: 19–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe D., Farrington D. P. (2004) Empathy and offending: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Aggression and Violent Behavior 9: 441–476

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jolliffe D., Farrington D. P. (2006) Examining the relationship between low empathy and bullying. Aggressive Behavior 32: 540–550

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kaukiainen A., Bjorkqvist K., Lagerspetz K. M. J., Osterman K., Salmivalli C., Forsblom S. et al (1999) The relationships between social intelligence, empathy, and three types of aggression. Aggressive Behavior 25: 81–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Keltikangas-Jarvinen L., Pakasiahti L. (1999) Development of social problem solving strategies and changes in aggressive behavior: A 7-year follow-up from childhood to late adolescence. Aggressive Behavior 25: 269–279

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kerig P. K. (2007) Understanding youth aggression. New Research in Mental Health 18: 88–101

    Google Scholar 

  • Kokkinos, C. M. & Logginidou, E. (2005). Perceived parental rearing behaviors among elementary school children involved in bullying and victimization. Paper presented at the 27th international school psychology association (ISPA) colloquium, Athens, 13-17/7 2005.

  • Kokkinos C. M. (2007) Elementary school children’s involvement in bullying and victimization: The role of attachment style and internalizing and externalizing symptomatology. Scientia Paedagogica Experimentalis XLIV 1: 33–49

    Google Scholar 

  • Kokkinos C. M., Panayiotou G. (2004) Predicting bullying and victimization among early adolescents: Associations with disruptive behavior disorders. Aggressive Behavior 30: 520–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ladd G. W. (2005) Children’s peer relations and social competence. Yale University Press, New Haven

    Google Scholar 

  • Limber S. P., Nation M., Tracy A. J., Melton G. B., Vlerx V. (2004) Of the Olweus bullying prevention program in the Southeastern United States. In: Smith P. K., Pepler D., Rigby K. (eds) Bullying in schools: How successful can interventions be?. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 55–79

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Malti T., Gummerum M., Keller M., Buchmann M. (2009) Children’s moral motivation, sympathy, and prosocial behavior. Child Development 80: 442–460

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Malti T., Perren S., Buchmann M. (2010) Children’s peer victimization, empathy, and emotional symptoms. Child Psychiatry of Human Development 41: 98–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mavroveli S., Petrides K.V., Rieffe C., Bakker F. (2007) Trait emotional intelligence, psychological well-being, and peer-rated social competence in adolescence. British Journal of Developmental Psychology 25: 263–275

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mavroveli S., Petrides K. V., Sangareau Y., Furnham A. (2009) Exploring the relationships between trait emotional intelligence and objective socio-emotional outcomes in childhood. British Journal of Educational Psychology 79: 259–272

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mavroveli S., Sánchez-Ruiz M. J. (2011) Trait emotional intelligence influences on academic achievement and school behavior. British Journal of Educational Psychology 81: 112–134

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mehrabian A., Epstein N. (1972) A measure of emotional empathy. Journal of Personality 40: 525–543

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muris P. (2001) A brief questionnaire for measuring self-efficacy in children with affective problems. Journal of Psychopathology and behavioral Assessment 23: 145–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muris P. (2002) Relationships between self-efficacy and symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression in a normal adolescent sample. Personality and Individual Differences, 32: 337–348

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nansel T. R., Overpeck M. D., Pilla R. S., Ruan W. J., Simons-Morton B., Scheidt P. (2001) Bullying behavior among U.S. youth: Prevalence and association with psychosocial adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association 285: 2094–2100

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Natwig G. K., Albrektsen G., Qvarnstrom U. (2001) School-related stress experience as a risk factor for bullying behavior. Journal of Youth and Adolescence 30: 561–575

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olweus D. (1978) Aggression in the schools bullies and whipping boys. Hemisphere Press, Washington

    Google Scholar 

  • Olweus D. (1993) Bullying in schools: What we know and what we can do. Blackwell, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Olweus D. (1994) Annotation: Bullying at school: Basic facts and effects of a school based intervention program. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry 35: 1171–1190

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Olweus D. (1997) Bully/Victim problems in school: Facts and intervention. European Journal of Psychology of Education 12: 495–510

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pakaslahti L., Asplund-Peltola R. L., Keltikangas-Jarvinen L. (1996) Parents’ social problem-solving strategies in families with aggressive and non-aggressive boys. Aggressive behavior 22: 345–356

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrides K. V., Frederickson N., Furnham A. (2004) The role of trait emotional intelligence in academic performance and deviant behavior at school. Personality and Individual Differences 36: 277–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrides K. V., Pita R., Kokkinaki F. (2007) The location of trait emotional intelligence in personality factor space. British Journal of Psychology 98: 273–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrides K. V., Sangareau Y., Furnham A., Frederickson N. (2006) Trait emotional intelligence and children’s peer relations at school. Social Development 15: 537–547

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rigby K., Slee P. (1993) Dimensions of interpersonal relating among Australian school children: Implications for psychological well-being. Journal of Social Psychology 131: 615–627

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salmivalli C., Isaacs J. (2005) Prospective relations among victimization, rejection, friendlessness, and children’s self- and peer-perceptions. Child Development 76: 1161–1171

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Salmivalli C., Lagerspetz K., Bjorkqvist K., Kaukiainen K., Kaukiainen A. (1996) Bullying as a group process: Participant role and their relations to social status within the group. Aggressive Behavior 22: 1–15

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sutton J., Smith P. K., Swettenham J. (1999) Social cognition and bullying: Social inadequacy or skilled manipulation?. British Journal of Developmental Psychology 17: 435–450

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Warden D., Mackinnon S. (2003) Prosocial children, bullies and victims: An investigation of their sociometric status, empathy, and social problem-solving strategies. British Journal of Developmental Psychology 21: 367–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wentzel K. R. (1991) Social competence at school: Relations between social responsibility and academic achievement. Review of Educational Research 61: 1–24

    Google Scholar 

  • Wentzel K. R., Caldwell K. (1998) Friendships, peer acceptance and group membership: Relations to academic achievement in middle school. Child Development 68: 1198–1209

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Constantinos M. Kokkinos.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kokkinos, C.M., Kipritsi, E. The relationship between bullying, victimization, trait emotional intelligence, self-efficacy and empathy among preadolescents. Soc Psychol Educ 15, 41–58 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9168-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-011-9168-9

Keywords

Navigation