Developing a Research Hypothesis

The topic I chose is bullying at schools because I am particularly impressed on how much young children can feel hate and satisfaction by making another classmate suffer. The article is called “Cohesion and power in the families of children involved in bully/victim problems at school”, encompassing the relationship between children and their families and how this is related to bulling other classmates. The power and cohesion seems to be very helpful on how to describe family systems. In addition, power and cohesion can also predict which children will bully be victims themselves. The study was conducted selecting 20 bullies, 20 bully/victims, and 20 control children, from three middle schools by a system of peer nomination. These students completed the Family System Test (FAST) to gather information on how they perceived their families on the elements of power and cohesion. The study aims to understand why some children become bullies and victims and others do not. The researchers seem to believe the family structure and negative relationship with the parents, have a great influence on negative behavior toward others. According to Bowers1992), “(Olweus (1980) has also argued that the emotional attitude of parents is an important factor in determining how the child’s peer relations develop at school. He found that a negative emotional attitude by the primary caregiver, together with permissiveness of aggression and use of power-assertive methods of discipline, increased the chance that a child will later become aggressive towards others”.

The research was descriptive, because the selected students were interviewed about other classmates and had to complete the FAST assessment. The research was also correlational because it was testing for statistical relationships between the variables suing the Pythagoras’ Theorem.  

My hypothesis predicts negative family structure will engender a bully child. The independent variable is negative family structure because it can change the dependent variable, which is the child. I strongly believe parents have a great influence on their children and can teach them positive social skills.  Parents who teach empathy for others and tolerance can have a different impact on their children. Also, a positive family structure influences children to have a high-self-esteem, which makes it less possible to be victims of bully.

References

Bowers, Louise,Smith, Peter K.,Binney, Valerie.” Cohesion and power in the families of children involved in bully/victim problems at school”. Journal of Family Therapy VL  - 14 IS  - 4. Blackwell Publishing. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j..1992.00467.x. Retrieved from Walden University.