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School Bullying Is Not a Conflict: The Interplay between Conflict Management Styles, Bullying Victimization and Psychological School Adjustment

Author

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  • Christoph Burger

    (Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, A-1010 Vienna, Austria
    Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, Liebiggasse 5, A-1010 Vienna, Austria
    Department of Psychology and Psychodynamics, Karl Landsteiner University for Health Sciences, Dr.-Karl-Dorrek-Straße 30, A-3500 Krems, Austria)

Abstract

It has been argued that adaptive conflict management styles may protect students against bullying victimization and against negative effects of ongoing victimization on psychological school adjustment. Moreover, maladaptive conflict management styles may lead to victimization or intensify negative effects of victimization on school adjustment. Mediation and moderation models were computed to test these effects. Furthermore, a person-oriented approach compared noninvolved students, victims, and bully-victims regarding conflict management styles and school adjustment. A total of 172 individuals (77.2% female, mean age: 22.7 years) completed a retrospective online questionnaire about conflict management styles, bullying victimization and school adjustment during their school years. In the mediation model, conflict management styles were not associated with victimization, but there was a positive direct effect of the integrating style on school adjustment. In the moderation model, the integrating style moderated the negative effect of victimization on school adjustment but did not buffer against the negative effects when victimization was high. Person-oriented comparisons showed that victims used the obliging style more often than bully-victims. Furthermore, victims and bully-victims showed lower school adjustment than noninvolved students. Overall, results corroborate the view that school bullying is qualitatively different from normal peer conflicts. Implications for researchers, policymakers, school principals and teachers are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Christoph Burger, 2022. "School Bullying Is Not a Conflict: The Interplay between Conflict Management Styles, Bullying Victimization and Psychological School Adjustment," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(18), pages 1-23, September.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:19:y:2022:i:18:p:11809-:d:918704
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Susana Avivar-Cáceres & Vicente Prado-Gascó & David Parra-Camacho, 2022. "Effectiveness of the FHaCE Up! Program on School Violence, School Climate, Conflict Management Styles, and Socio-Emotional Skills on Secondary School Students," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-15, December.
    2. Bihua Zhao & Junqiao Guo & Qingqing He & Linlin Jiang & Wenxin Hu, 2023. "School Bullying Victimization Types of Primary School Students and Associations with School Adaptation: a Latent Profile Analysis," Child Indicators Research, Springer;The International Society of Child Indicators (ISCI), vol. 16(2), pages 755-775, April.

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