The mediating role of empathy in the relationship between family functioning and bullying in students

Bullying, as the most prominent type of violence in schools, is defined as a state of power imbalance between two individuals in which the stronger person hurts the weaker person through repeatedly physical, verbal or psychological causes. The present study aimed at identifying the role of family functioning in bullying behaviors by affective empathy. Statistical population of the study included all the first grade male high school students of Bostan Abad city in the academic year of 2018/2019. 245 student participants completed the Family Functioning Device (FAD), the Bullying/Victim Questionnaire (B/VQ) and the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES). The results indicated that poor family functioning was correlated negatively with empathy and positively with bullying behaviors. The results also showed a negative correlation between empathy and bullying behaviors. Path coefficients indicated that weak family functioning had a negative effect on empathy. It also had a meaningfully positive effect on bullying behaviors. Moreover, the effect of empathy path coefficient on bullying behavior was meaningful. In other words, poor family functioning could directly affect bullying behaviors through the mediation of empathy. According to the results, family functioning affects bullying behaviors through empathy both directly and indirectly. The findings of the present study can be used by psychologists and professionals to prevent bullying-related behaviors.