BULLYING AND ITS IMPACT ON THE WELL-BEING AND ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OF LANGUAGE LEARNERS IN IMO EAST, NIGERIA

Abstract

This study examined the impact of bullying on the well-being and academic
performance of language learners in Imo East Senatorial District, Imo State. The objectives were
to examine the influence of bullying on psychological well-being, classroom participation, and
academic engagement of language learners. The study adopted a descriptive survey design. The
population comprised all senior secondary school students (SS1–SS3) in Imo East Senatorial
District, while a sample of 500 students was selected using a multi-stage sampling technique from
five schools across five randomly selected LGAs out of the nine in Imo East Senatorial District.
Data was collected using a structured, closed-ended questionnaire titled “The Impact of Bullying
on the Well-being and Academic Performance of Language Learners in Imo East Senatorial
District, Imo State ”, thereby confirming the instrument’s reliability using Cronbach's Alpha with
a coefficient of 0.83, hence making the instrument reliable. Data were analysed using descriptive
statistics, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. Findings revealed a significant negative
relationship between bullying and psychological well-being (r = -0.58, p < 0.05), a significant
effect on classroom participation (β = -0.44, p < 0.05), and a strong inverse relationship with
academic engagement (r = -0.61, p < 0.05). It was concluded that bullying has a detrimental effect
on language learners. The study recommends that school management strengthen anti-bullying
policies and promote student counselling, thereby filling the knowledge gap regarding the impact
of bullying on academic performance.