Understanding The Mental Health Of Bully Perpetrators Through Perspectives Of Childhood Trauma And Personality Traits: A Two-Phase Sequential Design

Abstract

Adolescence is a crucial time filled with several challenges because it acts as a bridge between childhood and adulthood. The significance of the present study involved studying the trend that links childhood trauma, mental health, and personality traits among bully perpetrators. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between childhood trauma and mental health, to determine gender differences in reference to mental health, and to examine the moderating role of personality traits between childhood trauma and mental health among bully perpetrators. Two phase sequential design was used to optimise adaptability. Sample was collected from educational institutes. During the first phase screening of 628 adolescents was done to identify bully perpetrators using Illinois Bullying Scale (IBS), In the second step, Childhood Trauma Questionnaire, Strength and Difficulty Questionnaire and Ten Item Personality Inventory were used to measure childhood trauma, mental health, and personality traits respectively on 220 adolescents’ males (n = 125) and females (n = 95). Descriptive analysis indicated that the mean and standard deviation of age were 17.05 and 1.64. A significant negative correlation was found between childhood trauma and mental health (-.67**). Mental health of male adolescent (M= 24.46, p < .05) was relatively better as compared to female adolescent (M = 21.07, p < .05). Agreeableness, openness, and conscientiousness positively moderated the relationship between childhood trauma and mental health, whereas extroversion as well as emotional stability moderated the relationship negatively among bully perpetrators. The study provided with practical implications for adolescents to improve their mental health, development of targeted intervention programs for early identification of childhood trauma and individualized treatment plans.