An investigation into the relationship between perceived peer pressure, perceived parental pressure and defending behaviour in bullying amongst university students.

Gosling, Leah (2019) An investigation into the relationship between perceived peer pressure, perceived parental pressure and defending behaviour in bullying amongst university students. Manchester Metropolitan University. (Unpublished)

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Abstract

Bullying is a complex social situation which is prevalent in a wide range of environments. It can have damaging consequences for the individuals on the receiving end of the harmful actions, but also for the individuals who witness the situation, known as bystanders. There is a wide body of research investigating the dynamics of bullying situations throughout schools; however there is a limited amount of research on the bullying roles and dynamics within universities. The current study aimed to investigate the relationship between perceived peer and parental pressures to intervene within bullying, and defending behaviour amongst university students. In the current study, 85 university students completed a questionnaire examining their perceived peer pressure, perceived parental pressure to intervene and defending behaviour when they witness a bullying episode. The data was analysed using a multiple regression and it was found that both predictors were positively related with defending behaviour in bullying. However, perceived peer pressure was found to significantly predict defending behaviour amongst university students, whereas perceived parental pressure was not a significant predictor of defending behaviour. Therefore the results suggest that peers are more influential in determining an individual’s intention to intervene within a bullying situation amongst university students.