Parenting Styles and Callous-Unemotional Traits as Predictors of Bullying among Adolescents
The study examined parenting styles and callous-unemotional trait as predictors of bullying. Participants in the study were 100 secondary school students from St. John Secondary school and Igwebuike grammar school, Awka. Participants comprised of 51 male, and 49 female, with the Age range of 12-19 years, mean age 14.34years and standard deviation 1.99. Instruments used were parental authority questionnaire developed by Busi (1991), Inventory of callous unemotional trait scale validated by Nwafor (2013) and peer experience questionnaire developed by Hersherger (1999). Multiple regression analysis of variance enter method was used for data management. Result of ANOVA summary showed significant association at F (3,100) = 16**, P < .01. Furthermore, beta coefficient for Permissive style was B=.20**, P < .01, Authoritarian style was B = .40, P > .05, Authoritative style was Beta = B .25**, P < .01, and Callous-Unemotional trait B = .23**, P < .01. Therefore, hypotheses one and two were confirmed. It was concluded that Authoritative parenting style, permissive parenting style and Callous-unemotional trait predict Bullying among adolescents in the present sample. It was recommended that parents should adopt authoritarian parental style as this will reduce tendency towards bullying behavior. Also, parents should ensure that model behaviors displayed before their adolescent children are packed with empathy in order to tune down bullying among adolescents.