The role of parental parenting styles in preventing children from becoming victims of bullying

Bullying is a serious problem in educational settings that can have long-term impacts on children's psychological development. Although many studies have examined risk factors for bullying, research specifically exploring the role of parenting styles from a qualitative perspective in Indonesia remains limited. This study aims to understand the meanings, experiences, and strategies of parents in preventing children from becoming victims of bullying. This qualitative study with a phenomenological approach involved five parents of children aged 7-15 years in Kapanewon Sentolo, Kulon Progo. Data were collected through semi-structured in-depth interviews and analyzed using thematic analysis. The findings revealed five main themes: meaning of the parental role as a safe place, authoritative parenting strategies through advice and role modeling, responsive routine communication, spousal and school support as facilitating factors, and work busyness and economic limitations as inhibiting factors. The findings indicate that the quality of emotional relationships and parental commitment, not merely material factors, are the main determinants in preventing bullying. This study contributes to strengthening attachment theory and authoritative parenting within the Indonesian context. Practical implications encourage the need for parental capacity-building programs, family-school collaboration, and special attention to vulnerable families such as single parents and families with economic limitations.