Relationship Between Bullying and Personality Traits Among Young Adults

This study investigated the relationship between personality traits and bullying experiences in young adults. The sample consisted of 65 male and female participants aged 18-25, categorized as either having or not having a history of being bullied during childhood and adolescence. Participants were selected from the general population using the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-28) and assessed with the Retrospective Bullying Questionnaire and the NEO-FFI personality inventory. The aim was to determine if specific personality traits were associated with a history of being bullied. The findings revealed a statistically significant relationship between the traits of openness and conscientiousness among the entire cohort. When comparing the bullied and non-bullied groups, a significant difference was found in the trait of ’Agreeableness’. Furthermore, the trait of ’Openness’ showed a statistically significant difference between the two groups at a 95% confidence interval. No significant differences were observed for the other personality traits. These results provide preliminary insight into how bullying experiences may correlate with certain personality traits in young adulthood. The study highlights the need for more extensive research across diverse socio-cultural contexts and age groups to further explore the long-term impact of bullying on personality development.