Authors : Sujata Bhau; Vidhushi Mahajan; Shivangi Choudhary; Suninder Tung

Volume/Issue : Volume 10 - 2025, Issue 7 - July

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/bdz3dcr2

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/4z8wxkda

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/25jul1500

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Note : Google Scholar may take 30 to 40 days to display the article.

Abstract : Bullying among adolescents is a worldwide pervasive phenomenon. Understanding the role of attachment stemming from the early years of life is crucial for addressing this major social issue. This research article explores the phenomena of bullying through the lens of Bowlby’s attachment theory. Secured attachment with the caregiver acts as a protective factor which fosters positive psychosocial development among adolescents in the form of empathy, emotional regulation and prosocial behavior. This in turn reduces the risk of bullying perpetration and victimization. Conversely, adolescents who share an insecure attachment bond with their parents and peers tend to show a higher propensity towards aggressive tendencies like bullying others and are at enhanced risk of being victimized as well. Despite of this understanding, there remains a significant dearth of literature examining the relationship of both parent and peer attachment with bullying. The present study aims to advance the existing literature by accentuating that secured bonding at both parental and peer level is paramount to mitigate the risks of bullying behaviors. Based on this conceptual approach, intervention strategies at the school and family level are discussed further.

Keywords : Bullying Perpetration, Victimization, Attachment, Bonding, Adolescents.

References :

1. Allen, J. P. (2008). The attachment system in adolescence. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 419–435). New York: Guilford Press.
2. Allen, J. P., & Land, D. (1999). Attachment in adolescence. In J. Cassidy & P. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 319–335). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
3. Allen, J. P., & Tan, J. S. (2016). The multiple facets of attachment in adolescence. In J. Cassidy & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (3rd ed., pp. 399–415). New York, NY: Guilford Press.
4. Bacchini, D., Affuso, G., & Trotta, T. (2008). Temperament, ADHD and peer relations among schoolchildren: the mediating role of school bullying. Aggressive Behavior: Official Journal of the International Society for Research on Aggression, 34(5), 447-459. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20271
5. Bacchini, D., Esposito, G., & Affuso, G. (2009). Social experience and school bullying. Journal of community & applied social psychology, 19(1), 17-32.  https://doi.org/10.1002/casp.975
6. Balan, R., Dobrean, A., & Balazsi, R. (2018). Indirect effects of parental and peer attachment on bullying and victimization among adolescents: The role of negative automatic thoughts. Aggressive behavior, 44(6), 561-570.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21775
7. Barber, B. K. (2002). Intrusive parenting: How psychological control affects children and adolescents. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
8. Barber, B. K., & Thomas, D. L. (1986). Dimensions of fathers' and mothers' supportive behavior: The case for physical affection. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 48, 783-794. https://doi.org/10.2307/352571
9. Bowlby, J. (1969). Attachment and loss: Vol. 1. Attachment. New York, NY: Basic Books.
10. Bowlby, J. (1973). Attachment and loss: Vol. 2. Separation: Anxiety and Anger. New York, NY: Basic Books.
11. Bowlby, J. (1977). The making and breaking of affectional bonds: II. Some principles of psychotherapy: The Fiftieth Maudsley Lecture (expanded version). The British Journal of Psychiatry, 130(5), 421-431.
12. Bowlby, J. (1980). Attachment and loss: Vol. 3. Loss. New York, NY: Basic Books.
13. Bowlby, J. (1988). A secure base: Parent-child attachment and healthy human development. New York: Basic Books.
14. Brendgen, M., Vitaro, F., & M. Bukowski, W. (2000). Deviant friends and early adolescents' emotional and behavioral adjustment. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10(2), 173-189.
15. Burton, K. A., Florell, D., & Wygant, D. B. (2013). The role of peer attachment and normative beliefs about aggression on traditional bullying and cyberbullying. Psychology in the Schools, 50(2), 103-115. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21663
16. Charalampous, K., Ioannou, M., Georgiou, S., & Stavrinides, P. (2019). The Integrative Model of Multiple Attachment Relationships in Adolescence: Linkages to Bullying and Victimization. International Journal of Developmental Science, 13(1-2), 3-17. https://doi.org/10.3233/DEV-180249
17. Cho, S., Hong, J. S., Sterzing, P. R., & Woo, Y. (2017). Parental attachment and bullying in South Korean adolescents: Mediating effects of low self-control, deviant peer associations, and delinquency. Crime & Delinquency, 63(9), 1168-1188.  https://doi.org/10.1177/0011128717714968
18. Côté, S. M., Vaillancourt, T., Barker, E. D., Nagin, D., & Tremblay, R. E. (2007). The joint development of physical and indirect aggression: Predictors of continuity and change during childhood. Development and psychopathology, 19(1), 37-55. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579407070034
19. Crick, N. R., & Bigbee, M. A. (1998). Relational and overt forms of peer victimization: A multiinformant approach. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66(2), 337–347. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.66.2.337
20. deLara, E. W. (2019). Consequences of childhood bullying on mental health and relationships for young adults. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28(9), 2379–2389. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-019-01515-4
21. Delgado, E., Serna, C., Martínez, I., & Cruise, E. (2022). Parental attachment and peer relationships in adolescence: A systematic review. International journal of environmental research and public health, 19(3), 1064. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph19031064
22. de Monchy, M., Pijl, S. J., & Zandberg, T. (2004). Discrepancies in judging social inclusion and bullying of pupils with behaviour problems. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 19, 317–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/0885625042000262488
23. Drennan, J., Brown, M. R., & Mort, G. S. (2011). Phone bullying: impact on self‐esteem and well‐being. Young Consumers, 12(4), 295-309. https://doi.org/10.1108/17473611111185850
24. Dwyer, K. M., Fredstrom, B. K., Rubin, K. H., Booth-LaForce, C., Rose-Krasnor, L., & Burgess, K. B. (2010). Attachment, social information processing, and friendship quality of early adolescent girls and boys. Journal of social and personal relationships, 27(1), 91-116. https://doi.org/10.1177/0265407509346420

25. Eilts, J., Wilke, J., Düring, U. V., & Bäker, N. (2023). Bullying perpetration: The role of attachment, emotion regulation and empathy. Emotional and Behavioural Difficulties, 28(4), 219-233. https://doi.org/10.1080/13632752.2023.2267230
26. Espelage, D. L., & Swearer, S. M. (2003). Research on school bullying and victimization: What have we learned and where do we go from here?. School psychology review, 32(3), 365-383. https://doi.org/10.1080/02796015.2003.12086206
27. Eyuboglu, M., Eyuboglu, D., Pala, S. C., Oktar, D., Demirtas, Z., Arslantas, D., & Unsal, A. (2021). Traditional school bullying and cyberbullying: Prevalence, the effect on mental health problems and self-harm behavior. Psychiatry research, 297, 113730. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2021.113730
28. Fuligni, A. J., & Eccles, J. S. (1993). Perceived parent-child relationships and early adolescents' orientation toward peers. Developmental Psychology, 29(4), 622–632. https://doi.org/10.1037/0012-1649.29.4.622
29. Georgiou, S. N. (2008). Bullying and victimization at school: The role of mothers.  British Journal of Educational Psychology, 78(1), 109-125. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709907X204363
30. Goldbach, J. T., Sterzing, P. R., & Stuart, M. J. (2018). Challenging conventions of bullying thresholds: Exploring differences between low and high levels of bully-only, victim-only, and bully-victim roles. Journal of youth and adolescence, 47, 586-600. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-017-0775-4
31. Grossmann, K. E, & Grossmann, K. (1991). Attachment quality as an organizer of emotional and behavioral responses in a longitudinal perspective. In C. M. Parkes, J. Stevenson-Hinde, & P. Manis (Eds.), Attachment across the life cycle (pp. 93-114). London: Tavistock/Routledge.
32. Grossmann, K.E., Grossmann, K., & Waters, E. (2005). Attachment from infancy to adulthood: The major longitudinal studies. New York: Guilford Press.
33. Hall, G. S. (1904). Adolescence: Its psychology and its relations to physiology, anthropology, sociology, sex, crime, religion and education (2 Vols.). New York: D. Appelton.
34. Hamel, N., Schwab, S., & Wahl, S. (2021). Bullying: Group differences of being victim and being bully and the influence of social relations. Studies in Educational Evaluation, 68, 100964. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2020.100964
35. Heinemann, P.P. (1972). Gruppvald bland barn och vuxna. Stockholm, Sweden: Natur och Kultur.
36. Hymel, S., Rocke-Henderson, N., & Bonanno, R. A. (2005). Moral disengagement: A framework for understanding bullying among adolescents. Journal of Social Sciences, 8(1), 1-11.

37. Igundunasse, A., & Anozie, O. K. (2018). Attachment Style and Personality Traits as Correlates of Bullying among Teenagers in Some Secondary School Settings in Lagos, Nigeria. Ife Social Sciences Review, 26(1), 74-84.
38. Innamorati, M., Parolin, L., Tagini, A., Santona, A., Bosco, A., De Carli, P., ... &Sarracino, D. (2018). Attachment, social value orientation, sensation seeking, and bullying in early adolescence. Frontiers in psychology, 9, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00239
39. Juvonen, J., Graham, S., & Schuster, M. A. (2003). Bullying among young adolescents: The strong, the weak, and the troubled. Pediatrics, 112(6), 1231-1237.
40. Košir, K., Klasinc, L., Špes, T., Pivec, T., Cankar, G., & Horvat, M. (2020). Predictors of self-reported and peer-reported victimization and bullying behavior in early adolescents: The role of school, classroom, and individual factors. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 35(2), 381–402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10212-019-00430-y.
41. Kutsyuruba, B., Klinger, D. A., & Hussain, A. (2015). Relationships among school climate, school safety, and student achievement and well-being: A review of the literature. Review of Education, 3(2), 103–135. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3043.
42. Laible, D. J., Carlo, G., & Raffaelli, M. (2000). The differential relations of parent and peer attachment to adolescent adjustment. Journal of Youth and adolescence, 29(1), 45-59. https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1005169004882
43. Lee, C. (2004). Preventing bullying in schools: A guide for teachers and other professionals. London: Paul Chapman Publishing.
44. Lee, K. S., & Vaillancourt, T. (2019). A four-year prospective study of bullying, anxiety, and disordered eating behavior across early adolescence. Child Psychiatry & Human Development, 50, 815-825. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-019-00884-7
45. Lereya, S. T., Copeland, W. E., Zammit, S., & Wolke, D. (2015). Bully/victims: a longitudinal, population-based cohort study of their mental health. European child & adolescent psychiatry, 24(12), 1461-1471. https://doi.org/ 10.1007/ s00787-015-0705-5
46. Li, L., Chen, X., & Li, H. (2020). Bullying victimization, school belonging, academic engagement and achievement in adolescents in rural China: A serial mediation model. Children and Youth Services Review, 113, 1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/ j.childyouth.2020.104946
47. Liu, T., & Li, T. (2025). Social bonds, internet usage time and bullying involvement: a study of rural secondary school students in China. Child & Family Social Work, 30(1), 26-36. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.13091

48. Luo, X., Zheng, R., Xiao, P., Xie, X., Liu, Q., Zhu, K., ... & Song, R. (2022). Relationship between school bullying and mental health status of adolescent students in China: a nationwide cross-sectional study. Asian journal of psychiatry, 70, 103043. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajp.2022.103043
49. Malhi, P., Bharti, B., & Sidhu, M. (2014). Aggression in schools: psychosocial outcomes of bullying among Indian adolescents. The Indian Journal of Pediatrics, 81(11), 1171-1176.
50. Mishna, F., Khoury-Kassabri, M., Schwan, K., Wiener, J., Craig, W., Beran, T., et al. (2016). The contribution of social support to children and adolescents’ self- perception: The mediating role of bullying victimization. Children and Youth Services Review, 63, 120–127. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.02.013.
51. Murphy, T. P., Laible, D., & Augustine, M. (2017). The influences of parent and peer attachment on bullying. Journal of child and family studies, 26(5), 1388-1397. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-017-0663-2
52. Nickerson, A. B., & Nagle, R. (2004). The influence of parent and peer attachments on life satisfaction in middle childhood and early adolescence. Social Indicators Research, 66, 35–60.
53. Nickerson, A. B., & Nagle, R. J. (2005). Parent and peer attachment in late childhood and early adolescence. The journal of early adolescence, 25(2), 223-249. https://doi.org/10.1177/0272431604274174
54. Nikiforou, M., Georgiou, S. N., & Stavrinides, P. (2013). Attachment to parents and peers as a parameter of bullying and victimization. Journal of criminology,  2013, 1-9.
55. Obermann, M. L. (2011). Moral disengagement in self‐reported and peer‐nominated school bullying. Aggressive behavior, 37(2), 133-144. https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.20378
56. Olweus, D. (1978). Aggression in schools: Bullies and whipping boys. Washington DC: Hemisphere.
57. Olweus, D. (1999). Sweden. In P. K. Smith, Y. Morita, J. Junger-Tas, D. Olweus, R. Catalano, & P. Slee (Eds.), The nature of school bullying: A cross-national perspective (pp. 7–27). New York, NY: Routledge.
58. Orue, I., & Calvete, E. (2019). Psychopathic traits and moral disengagement interact to predict bullying and cyberbullying among adolescents. Journal of interpersonal violence, 34(11), 2313-2332. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260516660302
59. Panfile, T. M., & Laible, D. J. (2012). Attachment security and child's empathy: The mediating role of emotion regulation. Merrill-Palmer Quarterly, 58(1), 1-21.
60. Park, J. Y., & Chae, K. M. (2011). The role of parenting behaviors, child's communication and problem solving skills in bullying/being bullied. Korean Journal of Psychology: General, 30(1), 45-67.

61. Paterson, J. E., Field, J., & Pryor, J. (1994). Adolescents' perceptions of their attachment relationships with their mothers, fathers, and friends. Journal of youth and adolescence, 23(5), 579-600. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01537737
62. Poncela, A. M. F. (2014). Adolescencia, crecimiento emocional, proceso familiar y expresiones humorísticas. Educar, 50(2), 445-466.
63. Pouwels, J. L., Lansu, T. A., & Cillessen, A. H. (2016). Participant roles of bullying in adolescence: Status characteristics, social behavior, and assignment criteria. Aggressive behavior, 42(3), 239-253.  https://doi.org/10.1002/ab.21614
64. Raikes, H. A., & Thompson, R. A. (2008). Attachment security and parenting quality predict children's problem-solving, attributions, and loneliness with peers. Attachment & human development, 10(3), 319-344. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 14616730802113620
65. Rao, G., & Madan, A. (2013). A study exploring the link between attachment styles and social networking habits of adolescents in urban Bangalore. International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications, 3(1), 1-12.
66. Renken, B., Egeland, B., Marvinney, D., Mangelsdorf, S., & Sroufe, L. A. (1989). Early childhood antecedents of aggression and passive-withdrawal in early elementary school. Journal of personality, 57(2), 257-281. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6494.1989.tb00483.x
67. Riany, Y. E., & Utami, F. (2025). Cyberbullying perpetration among adolescents in Indonesia: the role of fathering and peer attachment. International Journal of Bullying Prevention, 7(1), 13-27. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42380-023-00165-x
68. Rohner, R. P. (1986). The warmth dimension: Foundations of parental acceptance-rejection theory. Beverly Hills, CA: Sage Publications.
69. Salmivalli, C., Lagerspetz, K., Björkqvist, K., Österman, K., & Kaukiainen, A. (1996). Bullying as a group process: Participant roles and their relations to social status within the group. Aggressive Behavior: Official Journal of the International Society for Research on Aggression, 22(1), 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1098-2337(1996)22:1<1::AID-AB1>3.0.CO;2-T
70. Salmivalli, C., Peets, K., & Hodges, E. V. E. (2014). Bullying. In P. K. Smith & C. H. Hart (Eds.), The Wiley Blackwell handbook of childhood social development (2nd ed., pp. 510–528). Malden, MA: John Wiley & Sons.
71. Smith, P. K. (2011). Bullying in schools: Thirty years of research. In C.P. Monks & I. Coyne (Eds.), Bullying in different contexts (pp. 36-60). United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press.

72. Smith, P. K., Cowie, H., Olafsson, R. F., & Liefooghe, A. P. (2002). Definitions of bullying: A comparison of terms used, and age and gender differences, in a Fourteen–Country international comparison. Child development, 73(4), 1119-1133.  https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8624.00461
73. Smith, P. K., Mahdavi, J., Carvalho, M., Fisher, S., Russell, S., & Tippett, N. (2008). Cyberbullying: Its nature and impact in secondary school pupils. Journal of child psychology and psychiatry, 49(4), 376-385. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-7610.2007.01846.x.
74. Solberg, M. E., Olweus, D., & Endresen, I. M. (2007). Bullies and victims at school: Are they the same pupils?. British journal of educational psychology, 77(2), 441-464. https://doi.org/10.1348/000709906X105689
75. Sroufe, L. A. (2005). Attachment and development: A prospective, longitudinal study from birth to adulthood. Attachment & human development, 7(4), 349-367. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730500365928
76. Swartz, M. S., & Bhattacharya, S. (2017). Victimization of persons with severe mental illness: a pressing global health problem. In World Psychiatry (Vol. 16, Issue 1, pp. 26–27). Blackwell Publishing Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.20393
77. Swearer, S. M., & Hymel, S. (2015). Understanding the psychology of bullying: Moving toward a social-ecological diathesis–stress model. American Psychologist, 70(4), 344–353. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0038929
78. Thompson, R. A. (2008). Early attachment and later development: Familiar questions, new answers. In J. Cassidy, & P. R. Shaver (Eds.), Handbook of attachment: Theory, research, and clinical applications (pp. 348–365). New York: Guilford Press.
79. Tokunaga, R. S. (2010). Following you home from school: A critical review and synthesis of research on cyberbullying victimization. Computers in human behavior, 26(3), 277-287. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2009.11.014.
80. Valarezo-Bravo, O., Guzmán-González, M., Włodarczyk, A., Ubillos-Landa, S., & Casu, G. (2024). Parental attachment, attachment to friends, and well-being among Chilean adolescents and emerging adults. Plos one, 19(10), e0312777. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0312777
81. Walden, L. M., & Beran, T. N. (2010). Attachment quality and bullying behavior in school-aged youth. Canadian Journal of School Psychology, 25(1), 5-18. https://doi.org/10.1177/0829573509357046
82. Wang, J., Iannotti, R. J., Luk, J. W., & Nansel, T. R. (2010). Co-occurrence of victimization from five subtypes of bullying: Physical, verbal, social exclusion, spreading rumors, and cyber. Journal of pediatric psychology, 35(10), 1103-1112. https://doi.org/10.1093/jpepsy/jsq048

83. Whitlock, J., & Schantz, K. (2008). Mental Illness and Mental Health in Adolescence. Research Facts and Findings. http://www.actforyouth.net/documents/ Mental Health_Dec08.pdf
84. Wiertsema, M., Vrijen, C., van der Ploeg, R., Sentse, M., & Kretschmer, T. (2023). Bullying perpetration and social status in the peer group: A meta‐analysis. Journal of Adolescence, 95(1), 34-55. https://doi.org/10.1002/jad.12109
85. Wright, M. F., Kamble, S. V., & Soudi, S. P. (2015). Indian adolescents’ cyber aggression involvement and cultural values: The moderation of peer attachment. School Psychology International, 36(4), 410-427. https://doi.org/10.1177/0143034315584696
86. You, S., Lee, J., Lee, Y., & Kim, A. Y. (2015). Bullying among Korean adolescents: The role of empathy and attachment. Psychology in the Schools, 52(6), 594-606.  https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.21842