Abstract

This study explores the relationship between parenting styles and children's involvement in bullying, focusing on children with and without Special Educational Needs (SEN) in inclusive education settings in England and Türkiye. While bullying has been widely studied, most research has primarily examined typically developing children, leaving a gap in understanding the experiences of children with SEN. This study addresses this gap by comparing the impact of parenting styles on bullying experiences across both groups and cultural contexts.A mixed-methods approach was employed, combining quantitative and qualitative data collection. The quantitative phase included a questionnaire completed by 217 parents in Türkiye and 204 parents in England. Additionally, semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight parents of children with SEN who had experienced bullying—four from each country.The quantitative findings revealed differences in prevalence and the influence of parenting styles. In Türkiye, children with SEN experienced less bullying than their typically developing peers, whereas in England, the opposite was reported. Parenting styles did not predict bullying involvement in Türkiye, but in England, authoritative parenting was a risk factor for victimisation, while permissive parenting served as a protective factor.Qualitative data highlighted common challenges across both contexts, particularly the shared experiences of parents whose children were victimised. A significant issue identified by parents in both countries was the inadequacy of schools and teachers in effectively addressing bullying incidents.These findings underscore the need for a more comprehensive understanding of bullying dynamics across different cultural and educational settings. The study contributes to existing literature by offering a cross-cultural comparison of perspectives on the interplay between parenting styles and bullying experiences, emphasising the importance of tailoring interventions to support children with SEN.

Awarding Institution(s)

University of Plymouth

Supervisor

Jan Georgeson, Becky Stancer

Keywords

bullying, victimisation, children with SEN, typically developing children, parenting style, Türkiye, England, Cross-cultural comparison, Inclusive Education

Document Type

Thesis

Publication Date

2026

Embargo Period

2026-02-18

Deposit Date

February 2026

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License

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