A comparison of gender, age, grade, and experiences of authoritarian parenting amongst traditional and cyberbullying perpetrators

Abstract

In this study, we explore the differences between learners who perpetrate cyberbullying and traditional bullying in Gauteng with regard to their sociodemographic characteristics and the level of self-reported, authoritarian parenting they experienced. This study was conducted on Grade Six and Seven learners from four primary schools in Benoni, Gauteng (N = 279). Pupils completed an adapted version of the Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (R-OBVQ) and items from the Parenting Practices Questionnaire (PPQ), which measured the authoritarian parenting style. Results revealed that grade was significantly associated with both traditional and cyberbullying perpetration; Grade Six learners were significantly more likely to have perpetrated traditional bullying behaviours, χ² (3, N = 272) = 9.26, p < .05, and Grade Seven learners were more likely to have perpetrated cyberbullying behaviours, χ² (1, N = 272) = 5.96, p < .05. Age was significantly associated with cyberbullying perpetration only, with older learners more likely to perpetrate such behaviours, χ² (2, N = 272) = 9.24, p < .05. Both types of bullying were significantly related to self-reported, authoritarian parenting, therein suggesting that this parenting style is more prevalent in the households of bullying perpetrators.

Keywords: authoritarian parenting style; cyberbullying; Parenting Practices Questionnaire (PPQ); Revised Olweus Bully/Victim Questionnaire (R-OBVQ); traditional bullying