The Relationship Between Executive Function and Bullying Behavior among Elementary School Students in Pekanbaru
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33578/Keywords:
bullying behavior , elementary students , executive function , primary educationAbstract
Bullying remains a common issue among elementary school students and has the potential to hinder their social, emotional, and academic development. One individual factor hypothesized to be linked to bullying behavior is executive function—a cognitive ability involved in impulse control, emotional regulation, and behavioral adjustment to environmental demands. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between executive function and bullying behavior among elementary school students in Pekanbaru City. A quantitative approach with a correlational design was employed. The sample consisted of 500 fifth- and sixth-grade students from three public elementary schools in Pekanbaru City, selected using purposive sampling. Data were collected using questionnaires on executive function and bullying behavior that met validity and reliability criteria. Data analysis involved descriptive statistics, followed by the Mann–Whitney U test and Spearman's rho correlation. The results indicated that the majority of students fell into the moderate category for both executive function (65.2%) and bullying behavior (60.2%). Furthermore, no significant relationship was found between executive function and involvement as either a perpetrator (r = −0.029; p = 0.525) or a victim (r = −0.031; p = 0.493) of bullying. These findings suggest that bullying behavior among elementary school students is likely influenced more by factors other than executive function, such as school climate, peers, and the role of teachers. Therefore, bullying prevention efforts require a comprehensive approach involving the entire school community.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Salsabila Putri, Zetra Hainul Putra, Jesi Alexander Alim (Author)
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
