Bullying Behaviour among In-school Adolescents: Assessing the Predictability of Personality Traits and Self-Esteem
Keywords:
Personality traits; self-esteem, bullying behavior, in-school adolescents
Abstract
Bullying behaviour has remained a global issue with far-reaching consequences on their psychological well-being, social relationships, and academic performance among victims. Studies linking personality traits and self-esteem on bullying behavior within specific cultural contexts are lacking. Therefore, this study examined the predictive ability of personality traits and self-esteem on bullying behaviour among in-school adolescents in Ibadan North Local Government Area. Cross sectional survey design was adopted while purposive sampling technique was used to select the study location. Data were collected from 387 participants using validated scales and analyzed using multiple regression analysis and independent samples t-test to test two hypotheses that were accepted at p < 0.01 level of significance. The result demonstrated that personality traits and self-esteem jointly predicted bullying behavior among study participants [R² = .082, F(6, 380) = 5.66, p < .01]. In addition, the results revealed that agreeableness (β = .24, t = 4.58, p < .01) and conscientiousness (β = -0.12, t = -2.37, p < .01) independently predicted bullying behavior among study participants. However, self-esteem, extraversion, openness to experience and neuroticism did not independently predict bullying behavior among study participants. The novelty of the study is that it is the first time bullying behaviour is studied in a specific cultural milieu in Ibadan. It is recommended that a comprehensive, personality-focused anti-bullying programs be designed and implemented to reflect the cultural and educational contexts among in-school adolescents.
References
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Mitsopoulou, E., & Giovazolias, T. (2015). Personality traits, empathy and bullying behavior: A meta-analytic approach. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 21, 61-72.
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Nunes, S. A., & de Oliveira, A. J. P. (2024). Self-esteem and life satisfaction among Brazilian adolescents victimized and bullies. Análise Psicológica, 42(1), 75-91.
Olaniyan, T.O. (2025). Influence of self esteem and personality traits on bullying behaviour among adolescent secondary school student of Ibadan North Local Government. BSc thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Olweus, D. (2024). Olweus Bullying questionnaire PsycTests Database Record. © APA https://doi.org/10.1037/t56255-000
Palermiti, A. L., Graziano, P. A., and Costabile, A. (2023). The role of explicit and implicit self-esteem in traditional and cyber bullying among adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 94, 39-51.
Pallesen, S., Nielsen, M. B., Magerøy, N., Andreassen, C. S., and Einarsen, S. (2017). An experimental study on the attribution of personality traits to bullies and targets in a workplace setting. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1045.
Petrides, K. V., and Furnham, A. (2017). Gender differences in measured and self-estimated trait emotional intelligence. Journal of Social Psychology, 157(2), 188–197.
Rębisz, S., Jasińska-Maciążek, A., Grygiel, P., & Dolata, R. (2023). Psycho-social correlates of cyberbullying among Polish adolescents. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(8), 5521.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.Salmivalli, C., and Nieminen, E. (2020). Proactive and reactive aggression among school bullies, victims, and bully-victims. Aggressive Behavior, 28(1), 30-44.
Saliu, H. N. (2024). Teachers’ Perceptions and Responses to Students’ Bullying in Public Secondary Schools in a School District in Southern Nigeria: A Multiple Case Study (Doctoral dissertation, Keiser University).
Soto, C. J., & John, O. P. (2017). The next Big Five Inventory (BFI-2): Developing and assessing a hierarchical model with 15 facets to enhance bandwidth, fidelity, and predictive power. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(1), 117–143.
Swearer, S. M., Carney, L. C. M., Noetzel, J. S., & Barrett, A. R. (2024). Dignity, diversity, and the challenges of bullying and hateful speech. Social Media and Youth Mental Health, 37.
Thornberg, R., & Wanstrom, L.(2028). Bullying and its association with altruism toward victims, and classroom prevalence of bystander behaviours: A multilevel analysis. Social Psychology of Education, 21(5), 1133-1151 https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000424
Tsaousis, I. (2019). Gender differences in self-esteem and bullying behaviors. International Journal of School and Educational Psychology, 7(sup1), 13-23.
Tsaousis, I., & Giovazolias, T. (2021). The relationship between self-esteem and bullying perpetration and victimization among adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 61, 101640.
Tsaousis, I., & Giovazolias, T. (2021). The relationship between personality and bullying: A meta-analytic review. School Psychology Review, 50(2-3), 231-252.
Van Geel, M., Goemans, A., Zwaanswijk, W., Gini, G., and Vedder, P. (2018). Does peer victimization predict low self-esteem, or does low self-esteem predict peer victimization? Meta-analyses on longitudinal studies. Developmental Review, 49, 31-40.
Volk, A. A., Schiralli, K., Xia, X., Zhao, J., & Dane, A. V. (2018). Adolescent bullying and personality: A cross-cultural approach. Personality & Individual Differences, 125, 126-132.
Umeaku, N. N, Nnedum, O. A. O., & Nweke, K. O. (2021). The validation of the 10-item personality inventory in the Nigerian sample. Interdisciplinary Journal of African & Asian Studies, 7(2), 70-79 www.ijaas.com
Watson, R. J., Caba, A. E., Lawrence, S. E., Renley, B. M., McCauley, P. S., Wheldon, C. W., ... & Eisenberg, M. E. (2024). Examining mental health and bullying concerns at the intersection of sexuality, gender, race, and ethnicity among a national sample of sexual and gender diverse youth. LGBT health, 11(1), 20-27.
Wiles, R. (2021). Ethical issues in social research. Routledge.Zamir,S., and Zia,S.(2024). Exploring the bullying behaviors and coping mechanisms in undergraduates: A phenomenological study.Voyage Journal of Educational Studies,4(1),139-160.
Bandura, A. (1997).Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman
Carbone-Lopez, K., Esbensen, F. A., and Brick, B. T. (2020). Correlates and consequences of peer victimization: Gender differences in direct and indirect forms of bullying. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 8(4), 332-350.
Chou, W. J., Wang, P. W., Hsiao, R. C., Hu, H. F., and Yen, C. F. (2020). Role of school bullying involvement in depression, anxiety, suicidality, and low self-esteem among adolescents with high-functioning autism spectrum disorder. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 11, 9.
Cook, C. R., Williams, K. R., Guerra, N. G., Kim, T. E., and Sadek, S. (2020). Predictors of bullying and victimization in childhood and adolescence: A meta-analytic investigation. School Psychology Quarterly, 35(1), 13-27.
Cosma, A., Bjereld, Y., Elgar, F. J., Richardson, C., Bilz, L., Craig, W., & Walsh, S. D. (2022). Gender differences in bullying reflect societal gender inequality: A multilevel study with adolescents in 46 countries. Journal of Adolescent Health, 71(5), 601-608.
Ersozlu, Z, Wildy, H, Ersozlu, A, Lawrence, D, Karakus, M, Sorgo, A, Usak, M, Kubiatko, M & Chang, C-C (2020). Self-esteem, Bullying Perpetration/Victimization and Perceived Parental Support in a Nationally Representative Sample of Australian Students, Revista de Cercetaresi Interventie Sociala, 69, 49-68 https://dx.doi.org/10.33788/rcis.69.3
Fakorede, K., Obosi, A. O. & Uye, E. E. (2024). Coping style, social support, and resilience as predictors of quality of life among combatant officers in Nigeria. Nigerian Psychological Research , 9(1), 102 -110
Fanti, K. A., and Henrich, C. C. (2021). Narcissism and bullying in early adolescence: A longitudinal study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 49(3), 389-400.
Gkatsa, T. (2024). School bullying and personality traits from elementary school to university. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 6, 308-320 https://doi.org/10.1007/s42380-023-00174-w
Holfeld, B., & Mishna, F. (2018). Longitudinal associations in youth involvement as victimized, bullying, or witnessing cyberbullying. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 21(4), 234-239.
Leung, A. N. M., Chan, K. K. S., & Ng, C. S. M. Cyberbullying and Values Education.
McCrae, R. R., & Costa, P. T. (2022). Personality in adulthood: A five-factor theory perspective (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
Mitsopoulou, E., & Giovazolias, T. (2015). Personality traits, empathy and bullying behavior: A meta-analytic approach. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 21, 61-72.
Mitsopoulou, E., & Giovazolias, T. (2020). The relationship between personality traits and bullying behavior in early adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 54, 101412.
Nunes, S. A., & de Oliveira, A. J. P. (2024). Self-esteem and life satisfaction among Brazilian adolescents victimized and bullies. Análise Psicológica, 42(1), 75-91.
Olaniyan, T.O. (2025). Influence of self esteem and personality traits on bullying behaviour among adolescent secondary school student of Ibadan North Local Government. BSc thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology, University of Ibadan, Nigeria.
Olweus, D. (2024). Olweus Bullying questionnaire PsycTests Database Record. © APA https://doi.org/10.1037/t56255-000
Palermiti, A. L., Graziano, P. A., and Costabile, A. (2023). The role of explicit and implicit self-esteem in traditional and cyber bullying among adolescents. Journal of Adolescence, 94, 39-51.
Pallesen, S., Nielsen, M. B., Magerøy, N., Andreassen, C. S., and Einarsen, S. (2017). An experimental study on the attribution of personality traits to bullies and targets in a workplace setting. Frontiers in Psychology, 8, 1045.
Petrides, K. V., and Furnham, A. (2017). Gender differences in measured and self-estimated trait emotional intelligence. Journal of Social Psychology, 157(2), 188–197.
Rębisz, S., Jasińska-Maciążek, A., Grygiel, P., & Dolata, R. (2023). Psycho-social correlates of cyberbullying among Polish adolescents. International journal of environmental research and public health, 20(8), 5521.
Rosenberg, M. (1965). Society and the adolescent self-image. Princeton University Press.Salmivalli, C., and Nieminen, E. (2020). Proactive and reactive aggression among school bullies, victims, and bully-victims. Aggressive Behavior, 28(1), 30-44.
Saliu, H. N. (2024). Teachers’ Perceptions and Responses to Students’ Bullying in Public Secondary Schools in a School District in Southern Nigeria: A Multiple Case Study (Doctoral dissertation, Keiser University).
Soto, C. J., & John, O. P. (2017). The next Big Five Inventory (BFI-2): Developing and assessing a hierarchical model with 15 facets to enhance bandwidth, fidelity, and predictive power. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 113(1), 117–143.
Swearer, S. M., Carney, L. C. M., Noetzel, J. S., & Barrett, A. R. (2024). Dignity, diversity, and the challenges of bullying and hateful speech. Social Media and Youth Mental Health, 37.
Thornberg, R., & Wanstrom, L.(2028). Bullying and its association with altruism toward victims, and classroom prevalence of bystander behaviours: A multilevel analysis. Social Psychology of Education, 21(5), 1133-1151 https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000424
Tsaousis, I. (2019). Gender differences in self-esteem and bullying behaviors. International Journal of School and Educational Psychology, 7(sup1), 13-23.
Tsaousis, I., & Giovazolias, T. (2021). The relationship between self-esteem and bullying perpetration and victimization among adolescents: A meta-analytic review. Aggression and Violent Behavior, 61, 101640.
Tsaousis, I., & Giovazolias, T. (2021). The relationship between personality and bullying: A meta-analytic review. School Psychology Review, 50(2-3), 231-252.
Van Geel, M., Goemans, A., Zwaanswijk, W., Gini, G., and Vedder, P. (2018). Does peer victimization predict low self-esteem, or does low self-esteem predict peer victimization? Meta-analyses on longitudinal studies. Developmental Review, 49, 31-40.
Volk, A. A., Schiralli, K., Xia, X., Zhao, J., & Dane, A. V. (2018). Adolescent bullying and personality: A cross-cultural approach. Personality & Individual Differences, 125, 126-132.
Umeaku, N. N, Nnedum, O. A. O., & Nweke, K. O. (2021). The validation of the 10-item personality inventory in the Nigerian sample. Interdisciplinary Journal of African & Asian Studies, 7(2), 70-79 www.ijaas.com
Watson, R. J., Caba, A. E., Lawrence, S. E., Renley, B. M., McCauley, P. S., Wheldon, C. W., ... & Eisenberg, M. E. (2024). Examining mental health and bullying concerns at the intersection of sexuality, gender, race, and ethnicity among a national sample of sexual and gender diverse youth. LGBT health, 11(1), 20-27.
Wiles, R. (2021). Ethical issues in social research. Routledge.Zamir,S., and Zia,S.(2024). Exploring the bullying behaviors and coping mechanisms in undergraduates: A phenomenological study.Voyage Journal of Educational Studies,4(1),139-160.
Published
2025-06-08
How to Cite
Taofeeqah O. Olaniyan, Esohe G. Ehondor, Olubunmi O. James, & Emmanuel E. Uye. (2025). Bullying Behaviour among In-school Adolescents: Assessing the Predictability of Personality Traits and Self-Esteem. International Journal of Technology and Education Research, 3(02), 439-452. https://doi.org/10.63922/ijeter.v3i02.1924
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