EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE AND BULLYING IN ADOLESCENCE

Abstract

To analyze associations between emotional intelligence (EI), bullying, and demographic variables, a sample of 782 adolescents (M = 16.86 years) from a public school and a private institution answered the Trait Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire – Adolescent Short Form, bullying questionnaires, and a demographic questionnaire. Results of bivariate statistical analyses between EI and bullying, as well as between these variables and demographic variables (e.g., gender and age), are presented. However, the results of a cluster analysis that identified two clusters stand out: Cluster 1 – Less Emotional Intelligence, More Involvement in Bullying, and Greater Witnessing of Bullying (n = 448; 57.29%); and Cluster 2 – More Emotional Intelligence, Less Involvement in Bullying, and Less Witnessing of Bullying (n = 330; 42.20%). Thus, there is a negative relationship between EI and its factors (Self-control, Well-being, Emotionality, and Sociability) and direct (aggression, victimization, and aggression-victimization) and indirect (witnessing) involvement in bullying. The results show that there is a complex interaction between bullying and EI, indicating the need for further research to produce knowledge about this relationship, especially with samples of Brazilian adolescents.