Analysis of deviant friends' mediator effect on relationships between adolescent risk behaviours and peer bullying, abuse experiences and psychological resilience

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to develop a structural equation model that explains the mediating roles of deviant friends in the relationship between high school students' risk behaviors and their childhood abuse experiences, peer bullying and also psychological resilience levels. For this purpose, data were collected from 562 students who attend Anatolian High Schools in Burdur city center. Ego Resilience Questionnaire, Peer Bullying Detection Questionnaire, Childhood Experience of Abuse Questionnaire, Deviant Friends Questionnaire and Risky Behavior Questionnaire were used as data collection tools in the study. The findings obtained within the framework of structural equation modeling revealed that deviant friends assumed a mediatory role on the relationship between adolescents' childhood abuse experiences, peer bullying, psychological resilience levels and adolescents' risk behaviors. It was asserted that, while deviant friends exhibited complete mediatory role between the relationship between childhood abuse experiences and risk behaviors, deviant friends assumed partial mediatory role on the relationship between peer bullying, psychological resilience and risk behaviors. Findings of the study were discussed in context of the literature, and some suggestions were made for future studies.