［Objectives］This study aimed to: (1) identify psychosocial factors of role behaviors related to bullying, and (2) investigate the association of the interaction of psychosocial factors on bullying-related role in junior and high school students.
［Methods］A self-administered and anonymous questionnaire survey was conducted in 2013 involving 1,585 students of a junior high and a high school located in Tokyo. The frequency of being a perpetrator, bystander, victim, mediator, or adviser over the past one year was scored, and used as a score for bullying-related role behaviors. Also, the generalized linear models were performed, using a score for bullying-related role behaviors as an objective variable, and the sex, age, and scores for accepting attitudes towards bullying, aggression, empathy, self-assertiveness, self-management skills, self-esteem, stress responsiveness, social support, and self-efficacy to stop bullying as explanatory variables. Furthermore, interaction terms were created among the psychosocial factors which showed a significant correlation with the score for role behaviors of bullies, and then interaction terms significantly correlated with the score for role behaviors of bullies were examined.
［Results］Significant correlations were observed among accepting attitudes towards bullying, role behaviors of bullies, and role behaviors of bystanders. A significant correlation was observed between an interaction term of accepting attitudes towards bullying and self-management skills and the score for role behaviors of bullies. The results revealed that the higher the score for accepting attitudes towards bullying, the more the role behavior of bullies was promoted; whereas, the higher the self-management skills, the lower the chance of developing accepting attitudes towards bullying and engaging in role behaviors of bullies.
［Conclusions］The results suggest that fostering students’ attitudes and classroom climate that do not tolerate bullying, and increasing self-management skills are considered effective to prevent bullying.
