TY  - EJOU
AU  - İnci, Ramazan 
AU  - Açar, Davut 
AU  - Çelik, Osman Tayyar 
AU  - Tunç, Yunus 

TI  - Understanding Psychosocial Determinants of Adolescent Bullying in Türkiye
T2  - International Journal of Mental Health Promotion

PY  - 2026
VL  - 28
IS  - 1
SN  - 2049-8543

AB  - <b>Background:</b> Bullying during adolescence is shaped by numerous psychosocial factors such as family dynamics, attachment, and peer relationships. This study aims to examine parental acceptance-rejection, attachment styles, and social exclusion factors as key psychosocial variables predicting bullying behavior in adolescents. <b>Methods</b>: In a cross-sectional study conducted with 349 high school students in Hakkari, Türkiye. Data were collected using the Olweus Bullying Scale, the Parental Acceptance-Rejection Scale, the Social Exclusion Scale, and the Three-Dimensional Attachment Styles Scale. Independent samples <i>t</i>-tests, one-way ANOVAs, Pearson correlations, and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. <b>Results:</b> Research findings reveal that peer bullying varies significantly according to gender, class level, parents’ educational level, and socio-economic status. Furthermore, our findings indicate that social exclusion (<i>β</i> = 0.506, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and avoidant attachment (<i>β</i> = 0.162, <i>p</i> < 0.01) positively predict peer bullying, while secure attachment (<i>β</i> = −0.205, <i>p</i> < 0.01), maternal (<i>β</i> = −0.385, <i>p</i> < 0.01) and paternal (<i>β</i> = −0.217, <i>p</i> < 0.01) acceptance/rejection negatively predict bullying. The final regression model explains approximately 55% of the variance in bullying. <b>Conclusion</b>: Our findings indicate that social exclusion, parental acceptance/rejection, and secure or avoidant attachment patterns may be associated with bullying behaviour in adolescents. These findings emphasise the necessity of family- and peer-focused interventions to combat bullying.
KW  - Adolescent; bullying; parental rejection; attachment styles; social exclusion

DO  - 10.32604/ijmhp.2025.072072