Emotional intelligence as an intervention against bullying in primary schools in Gauteng : efficacy of an anti-bullying intervention programme

Abstract

The aim of this study was to assess the emotional intelligence of bullies between the ages of 7 and 13 years and to use the information gathered to develop an Emotional Intelligence Skills Enhancement Programme that can serve as an anti-bullying intervention programme. The impact of the programme was evaluated to determine whether it assisted in decreasing bullying behaviour in the primary school context in South Africa. The study was conducted in a primary school in the Benoni area in Gauteng (South Africa). The study was divided into three phases. The aim of the pilot study was to test the research techniques to determine whether they would be suitable for use in South Africa specifically. The respondents in the pilot study were selected from five primary schools in Gauteng, South Africa. A total of 100 (n=100) learners between the ages of 7 and 13 years were included in the pilot study phase of this study to test whether the Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (BarOn EQ-i:YV) would be appropriate for use in a South African context. A total of 175 (n=175) parents were included in the pilot study to test the reliability of the Self-developed Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire for Adults and the appropriateness of the use of the Parent–Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI) and the Parenting Styles Questionnaire (PSQ). The reliability coefficients were calculated using Cronbach’s alpha. The results indicated that the Self-developed Intelligence Questionnaire for Adults was sufficiently reliable given the design and purpose of the study, and that the other measuring instruments were appropriate for use in the South African context. The aim of Phase 1 of this quantitative study was to determine and present the relationship between the independent variables (emotional intelligence, parent–child relationship and parenting styles) and the dependent variable, bullying. Phase 1 involved 56 (n=56) bullies and 56 (n=56) non-bullies, 36 (n=36) fathers of bullies, 55 (n=55) mothers of bullies, 42 (n=42) fathers of non-bullies and 56 (n=56) mothers of non-bullies. Descriptive statistics were provided on the scales of the BarOn EQ-i:YV, the Self-developed Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire for Adults, the PCRI and the PSQ. The bullies and the non-bullies were compared on the BarOn EQ-i:YV by means of independent samples t-tests. It was found that the bullies scored significantly lower on all the scales. The parents of the bullies and the non-bullies were compared on the Self-developed Questionnaire and the PCRI using independent samples t-tests. The results for the parents on the Self-developed Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire for Adults showed no significant differences, whereas the parents of the bullies scored significantly lower on a number of scales of the PCRI. Poor parent–child relationships could, however, not be assumed based on the findings. A chi-square analysis of the results on the PSQ showed a significant interaction between the dominating parenting style of the fathers and bullying behaviour. A preference for an authoritarian parenting style was indicated by the fathers of the bullies. The aim of Phase 2 of this study was to develop an Emotional Intelligence Skills Enhancement Programme that can serve as an anti-bullying intervention programme to assist in decreasing the occurrence of bullying behaviour in the primary school context. The experimental group consisted of 15 (n=15) bullies and 15 (n=15) non-bullies and the control group consisted of 15 (n=15) bullies and 15 (n=15) non-bullies. Only the participants in the experimental group were exposed to the intervention programme. A mixed multivariate analysis (GLM) was used to explore the interaction between pretest and posttest scores and the experimental and control groups for the total EQ scores and the behavioural ratings given by the teachers. Significant changes were observed in relation to the bullies in the experimental group in the pretest and the posttest of the BarOn EQ-i:YV and the Teacher Rating Scale. These findings provide support for the effectiveness of the programme in the experimental group.

Hierdie studie het gepoog om die emosionele intelligensie van boelies/bullebakke tussen die ouderdomme 7 en 13 jaar oud te bepaal. Die bevindings is gebruik om ‘n Emosionele Intelligensie Vaardigheid Verrykingsprogram te ontwikkel wat daarna as ‘n (teen-) anti-boelie ingrypingsprogram geimplimenteer is. Dié program se impak is verder ook ge-evalueer om te bepaal of dit wel ‘n bydrae gemaak het tot vermindering van bullebakgedrag in die primêre skoolkonteks in Suid-Afrika. Die studie is in ‘n primêre skool in die omstreke van Benoni in Gauteng (Suid-Afrika), uitgevoer en is verdeel in drie fases. Die doel van die loodsstudie was om te toets of die navorsingstegnieke in Suid-Afrika toegepas kan word. Honderd (n=100) leerlinge tussen die ouderdom van 7 en 13 jaar oud, is geselekteer as deelnemers uit vyf primêre skole in Gauteng. Hierdie loodsstudie-groep is gebruik om te bepaal of die Emotional Quotient Inventory: Youth Version (BarOn EQ-i:YV), in ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, suksesvol toegepas kan word. ‘n Totaal van 175 ouers (n=175) was ook ingesluit in die loodsstudie om die betroubaarheid van die Self-ontwikkelde Emosionele Intelligensie Vraelys vir Volwassenes te toets asook die toepasbaarheid van die gebruik van die Parent-Child Relationship Inventory (PCRI) en die Parenting Style Questionnaire (PSQ). Die betroubaarheidskoeffisiënte is bereken met die Cronbach’s Alpha toets. Bevindings toon dat die Self-ontwikkelde Intelligensie Vraelys vir Volwassenes voldoende betroubaar is wat die ontwerp en doel van die studie betref. Ook die ander meetinstrumente kan in ‘n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks suksesvol toegepas word. Die doel van Fase 1 (kwantitatiewe studie), was om die verhouding tussen die onafhanklike veranderlikes (emosionele intelligensie, ouer-kind verhouding en ouer- opvoedingstyle) en die afhanklike veranderlike naamlik bullebakgedrag, te bepaal. Fase 1 het 56 (n=56) boelies en 56 (n=56) nie-boelies, 36 (n=36) vaders van boelies, 55 (n=55) moeders van boelies, 42 (n=42) vaders van nie-boelies en 56 (n=56) moeders van nie-boelies, ingesluit. Beskrywende statistiek is verskaf op die volgende skale: BarOn EQ-i:YV, Self-ontwikkelde Intelligensie Vraelys vir Volwassenes, PCRI en die PSQ. Die boelies en nie-boelies is deur middel van onafhanklike steekproef t-toetse op die BarOn EQ-i:YV skaal met mekaar vergelyk en die resultaat het getoon dat die boelies beduidend laer punte op alle skale behaal het. Ouers van die boelies en nie-boelies is ook met mekaar vergelyk deur middel van die Self-ontwikkelde Intelligensie Vraelys vir Volwassenes en die PCRI en die PSQ. Resultate van eersgenoemde metode het geen beduidende verskille getoon nie terwyl die ouers van boelies met die PCRI ‘n beduidend laer syfer op verskeie skale behaal het. Swak ouer-kind verhouding kan dus nie, op grond van die bevindings, net aanvaar word nie. ‘n Chi-kwadraat analise van die resultate op die PSQ het ‘n beduidende interaksie getoon tussen die dominerende ouer-opvoedingstyl van die vaders, en bullebak(boelie) gedrag. ‘n voorkeur vir Outoritêre Ouerskap was deur vaders van die boelies aangedui. Die doel van Fase 2 in hierdie studie was om die Emosionele Intelligensie Vaardigheid Verrykingsinventaris Program te ontwikkel om sodoende as ’n teen-boelie intervensie/ingrypingsprogram te dien wat sal bydra om die voorkoms van bullebakgedrag in die primêre skoolkonteks, te verminder. Die eksperimentele groep het bestaan uit 15 (n=15) boelies en 15 (n=15) nie-boelies en die kontrole groep ook uit 15 (n=15) boelies en 15 (n=15) nie-boelies. Slegs die deelnemers aan die eksperimentele groep was blootgestel aan dié ingrypingsprogram. ‘n Gemengde Meerveranderlike Analise, GLM (“General Linear Model”), is gebruik om die interaksie tussen voor- en na-toetstellings te bepaal, vir die eksperimentele en kontrole groepe se Totale EQ (Emosionele Kwosiënt) en die gedragsgraderings deur onderwysers. Beduidende verskille was waargeneem vir boelies in die eksperimentele groep in die voor- en na-toets van die BarOn EQ-i:YV en die Onderwysgraderingsskaal. Hierdie bevindings verskaf ondersteuning vir die doeltreffendheid van die program in die eksperimentele groep.

Sepheo sa phuputso ena e ne e le ho hlahloba bohlale ba maikutlo ba bo-mmampodi ba dilemo di dipakeng tsa 7 le 13 le ho sebedisa tlhahisoleseding e bokelletsweng ho ntlafatsa Lenaneo la Ntlafatso ya Bokgoni ba Bohlale ba Maikutlo le ka sebetsang e le lenaneo la kenang dipakeng kgahlanong le bompodi. Tshusumetso ya lenaneo e ile ya hlahlojwa ho sheba hore na le thusitse ho fokotsa boitshwaro ba bompodi maemong a dikolo tsa mathomo Afrika Borwa. Phuputso e entswe dikolong tsa mathomo tikolohong ya Benoni Gauteng (Afrika Borwa).Phuputso e ne e arotswe ka mekgahlelo e meraro. Sepheo sa phuputso ena e nyane e ne e le ho etsa teko ya mekgwa ya dipatlisiso ho bona hore na e ka sebediswa hantle Afrika Borwa ka ho kgetholoha. Batho ba arabang dipotso phuputsong ena e nyane ba ne ba kgethilwe ho tswa dikolong tse hlano tsa mathomo Gauteng, Afrika Borwa. Kakaretso ya baithuti ba 100 (p=100) ba dilemo di dipakeng tsa 7 le 13 ba ne ba kenyelleditswe mokgahlelong wa phuputso e nyane wa phuputso ena ho etsa teko ya hore na Lethathamo la Maemo a Itseng a Maikutlo: Phetolelo ya Batjha (BarOn EQ-i:YV) le ne le ka loka bakeng sa tshebediso maemong a Afrika Borwa. Kakaretso ya batswadi ba 175 (p=175) e ile ya kenyelletswa phuputsong e nyane ho etsa teko ya ho tshepahala ha Lethathamo la dipotso le Iketseditsweng la Bohlale ba Maikutlo bakeng sa batho ba baholo le ho nepahala ha tshebediso ya Lethathamo la Kamano ya Motswadi le Ngwana (PCRI) le Lethathamo la dipotso la Mekgwa ya Botswadi (PSQ). Ho tshepahala ha boleng ba tekanyo ho ile ha lekanyetswa ho sebediswa alfa ya Cronbach. Diphetho di bontshitse hore Lethathamo la dipotso le Iketseditsweng la Bohlale bakeng sa batho ba baholo le ne le tshepahala ka ho lekana ho latela moralo le sepheo sa phuputso, le hore disebediswa tse ding tsa ho lekanya di ne di loketse ho sebediswa maemong a Afrika Borwa. Sepheo sa Mokgahlelo wa 1 wa phuputso ya tekanyo e ne e le ho bona le ho hlahisa kamano dipakeng tsa dintho tse feto-fetohang tse ikemetseng (bohlale ba kelelllo, kamano ya motswadi le ngwana le mekgwa ya botswadi) le ntho e feto-fetohang e sa ikemelang, bompodi. Mokgahlelo wa 1 o ne o kenyelleditse bo-mmampodi ba 56 (p =56) le bao e seng bo-mmampodi ba 56 (p=56), bo-ntate ba bo-mmampodi ba 36 (p=36), bo-mme ba 55 ba bo-mmampodi (p=55), bo-ntate ba 42 (p=42) ba bao eseng bo-mmampodi le bo-mme ba 56 (p=56) ba bao eseng bo-mmampodi. Dipalo-palo tse hlalosang di ile tsa fanwa dikaleng tsa BarOn EQ-i:YV, Lethathamo la dipotso le Iketseditsweng la Bohlale ba Maikutlo bakeng sa batho ba baholo, PCRI le PSQ. Bo-mmampodi le bao eseng bo-mmampodi ba ile ba bapiswa ho BarOn EQ-i:YV ka mekgwa ya diteko tsa t tsa disampole tse ikemetseng. Ho ile ha fumaneha hore bo-mmampodi ba ile ba fumana dintlha tse tlase dikaleng tsohle. Batswadi ba bo-mmampodi le bao eseng bo-mmampodi ba ile ba bapiswa Lethathamong la dipotso le Iketseditsweng le PCRI ho sebediswa diteko tsa t tsa disampole tse ikemetseng. Diphetho tsa batswadi Lethathamong la dipotso le Iketseditsweng la Bohlale ba Maikutlo bakeng sa Batho ba baholo ha dia bontsha diphapang tse kgolo, ha batswadi ba bo-mmampodi ba fumane dintlha tse bonahalang di le tlase dikaleng tse batlang di le ngata tsa PCRI. Leha ho le jwalo, dikamano tse seng hantle tsa motswadi le ngwana di ne di ke ke tsa nahanwa ho latela diphumano. Manollo ya sekwere sa chi ya diphumano ho PSQ e bontshitse tshebedisano e bonahalang dipakeng tsa mokgwa o atileng wa botswadi ba bo-ntate le boitshwaro ba bompodi. Kgetho ya mokgwa wa botswadi wa bohatelli o ile wa bontshwa ho bo-ntate ba bo-mmampodi. Sepheo sa Mokgahlelo wa 2 wa phuputso e ne e le ho ntlafatsa Lenaneo la Ntlafatso ya Bokgoni ba Bohlale ba Maikutlo le ka sebetsang e le lenaneo la kenang dipakeng kgahlanong le phokotso ya boitshwaro ba bompodi maemong a dikolo tsa mathomo. Sehlopha sa diteko se ne se e na le bo-mmampodi ba 15 (p=15) le bao seng bo-mmampodi ba 15 (p=15) mme sehlopha sa taolo se ne se e na le bo-mmampodi ba 15 (p=15) le bao seng bo-mmampodi ba 15 (p=15). Ke feela bankakarolo ba sehlopheng sa diteko ba ileng ba behwa lenaneong la ho kena dipakeng. Manollo ya dipalo tse ngata tse tswakilweng (GLM) e ile ya sebediswa ho lekola tshebedisano dipakeng tsa dintlha tse fumanweng pele ho teko le kamora teko le dihlopha tsa diteko le tsa taolo bakeng sa kakaretso ya dintlha tse fumanweng tsa EQ le ditekanyetso tsa boitshwaro tse fanweng ke matitjhere. Diphetoho tse bonahalang di ile tsa bonwa mabapi le bo-mmampodi ba sehlopheng sa diteko pele ho teko le kamora teko ya BarOn EQ-i:YV le Sekala ka Tekanyetso sa Titjhere. Diphumano tsena di fana ka tshehetso bakeng sa tshebetso ya lenaneo sehlopheng sa diteko.