Investigation of the Mediating Role of Empathy in the Relationship Between Adolescents' Prosocial Behaviors and Bullying Tendencies

The objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between prosocial behaviors, bullying tendencies, and empathic tendencies among middle school students. The research involved a study cohort comprising 354 students from secondary schools, 54% (n= 190) of whom were female and 46% (n= 164) of whom were male. Data collection was conducted using the KA-SI Empathic Tendency Scale, the Prosocial and Aggressive Behaviors Scale, and the Bullying Tendency Scale. In addition to descriptive statistics, the data was analyzed using Pearson Correlation Analysis and Simple Mediation Analysis. The results of the study indicate that peer bullying has significant negative relationships with empathy and prosocial behaviors. Furthermore, it was determined that empathic tendency serves as a full mediator variable in the relationship between prosocial behaviors and bullying tendencies. The findings were discussed in the context of the existing literature, and various suggestions were provided.