Parent–child communication and adolescents' problem-solving strategies in hypothetical bullying situations

Abstract

The current study investigated (1) the types of solutions that students and parents generate in response to hypothetical bullying situations, (2) the effectiveness of the strategies, and (3) the effectiveness of strategies when considering parent–child communication. Two hundred twenty-five junior high school students and their parents were required to read four short scripts involving hypothetical bullying dilemmas and generate as many solutions as possible to solve each situation. Participants also filled out a parent–child communication questionnaire. Results revealed that the most common type of solutions provided by both students and parents were help-seeking strategies. Although students provided significantly more assertive solutions than parents, 41% generated at least one strategy that may worsen the situation. The overall effectiveness rating of solutions for students and parents fell slightly below effective. Finally, parent–child communication was associated with the effectiveness of solutions generated. Educational recommendations and future research steps will be discussed.