COGNITIVE CONSEQUENCES OF BULLYING BEHAVIOUR IN PRESCHOOLERS: EVIDENCE FROM BULAWAYO ECD SETTINGS

Mnkandla Silindile

Abstract


This mixed-methods study examined the cognitive consequences of bullying perpetration on holistic development among Early Childhood Development (ECD) learners aged 4–6 in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, addressing a notable gap in perpetrator-focused research within resource-constrained urban African contexts. Guided by an integrated theoretical framework encompassing Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory, Bandura’s social learning theory, Vygotsky’s sociocultural theory and Piaget’s cognitive development theory, the investigation aimed to assess associations between perpetration frequency and attention span metrics, compare reasoning capacities between perpetrators and non-perpetrators and explore educator and parental perceptions of cognitive repercussions. Employing a sequential explanatory design, quantitative data from 148 learners (74 perpetrators, 74 non-perpetrators) were collected via adapted Preschool Peer Victimization and Aggression Scale ratings and WPPSI-IV subtests, analysed with correlations, t-tests and ANCOVA in SPSS. Qualitative insights from 44 interviews (18 teachers, 26 parents) underwent thematic analysis in NVivo. Results indicated a moderate negative correlation between perpetration frequency and attention span (r = −0.42, p < 0.001, r² = 0.176) and lower reasoning scores among perpetrators (t(146) = −4.42, p < 0.001, d = 0.68). Stakeholder accounts revealed themes of impaired sustained attention, reduced problem-solving flexibility and limited perspective-taking, with narratives depicting frustration-driven behavioural escalations. These findings reject the null hypotheses, supporting cognitive burdens for young aggressors and extending global and African literature to preschool levels. Implications advocate for perpetrator-inclusive ECD interventions, culturally attuned to Zimbabwean urban dynamics, to foster equitable development and interrupt aggression cycles.

Keywords


bullying perpetration; cognitive consequences; early childhood development; attention span; reasoning capacity; Zimbabwe

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References


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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejsss.v12i2.2189

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