Spirituality Studies 10-2 Fall 2024 77 Kristína Dědová, Anna Sleziaková, Veronika Mihaliková Subsequently, the relationships between experiencing spirituality (the importance and practice of spirituality) and bullying rates were examined across the role groups. There was a positive relationship found between the importance of spirituality and being the victim of bullying, suggesting that higher levels of experiencing spirituality are associated with higher rates of victim bullying. The other role groups did not demonstrate relationships in the context of spirituality. Victims of bullying showed significant differences in experiencing spirituality compared to adolescents who did not participate in bullying. The differences were significant regarding the importance of spirituality to their lives as well as the practice of spirituality. Aggressors, defenders and bystanders did not differ in experiencing spirituality compared to non-bullied students. When analyzing spiritual well-being and bullying in adolescents, previous results have shown that adolescents who had higher levels of spiritual well-being were less likely to be bullied by classmates as well as being less likely to engage in bullying (Dutkova et al. 2017, 8). When examining the relationships between spirituality, happiness, altruism and prosocial behavior in bullying bystanders, happiness and altruism were shown to be associated with bystander prosocial behavior (GarcíaVázquez et al. 2022, 1838). Spirituality and happiness have an inverse relationship in that they increase prosocial behavior through the positive effects of altruism. The results of the study provide evidence that there is an opportunity to increase prosocial behavior by enhancing spirituality, altruism and happiness. Therefore, it is important to consider promoting these positive factors in adolescents to contribute to the prevention of bullying. The relationships between loneliness and bullying rates across the role groups were examined. Regarding experiencing loneliness, there was a significant difference confirmed in the experience of emotional loneliness between aggressors and students who did not participate in bullying. In the case of loneliness, significant differences were found between the role of defender and adolescents who did not participate in bullying, both in overall loneliness and social and emotional loneliness. For victims of bullying, the negative association between experiencing social and emotional loneliness and experiencing bullying was confirmed. Victims rated perceived loneliness significantly higher compared to non-bullied students. Victims experiencing higher levels of loneliness were more likely to experience bullying. Bullying brings physical and psychological injury with it, affecting performance and increasing levels of loneliness, self-harm and suicidal behavior (Wolke et al. 2015; Armitage 2021). Social support plays an important role, reducing the risk of bullying (Mischel and Kitsantas 2020, 70) and positively influencing an individual’s well-being (Kalaitzaki, Tsouvelas and Koukouli 2021, 454). When examining the protective/risk predictors (spirituality, loneliness), spirituality was not found to be a significant predictor in the context of victim bullying. Emotional loneliness featured as a significant predictor in the dataset with an individual with a lower level of social loneliness less likely to become the aggressor of bullying. Social loneliness was not shown to be a significant predictor. For defenders, neither of the current variables (spirituality, loneliness) should be significant predictors. The same results were confirmed in the role group of bystanders. A research study by Howell and Miller-Graff (2014, 1985, 1991–1993) focused on the role of social support, spirituality and emotional intelligence in promoting resilience. The results of the study showed that after accounting for childhood victimization, other potentially traumatic events and current symptoms of depression and anxiety, higher resilience was associated with higher levels of spirituality, emotional intelligence, and support from friends (not family). The findings suggest that protective factors are more influential than negative experiences and psychopathology in determining resilient functioning. It is evident that spirituality, social support, and emotional intelligence are interrelated aspects that may contribute to individuals’ resilient coping with difficult life situations and adverse conditions. Acknowledgement The study was funded by the University Grant Agency of Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra V/3/2024 and V/15/2024.
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