Examining the role of school administrators' competence in managing social media in the relationship between students' social media use and bullying behaviors

Bullying behavior among students at the secondary school level in Turkey is a prominent problem in international indicators.(MEB, 2023). It has been suggested that one of the root causes of this problem is the misuse of social media (Otrar, 2014). This study examines the relationship between students' bullying behavior and social media use at secondary schools, as well as the competencies of school administrators in managing social media. Drawing on the experiences of students, teachers, school administrators, and parents the primary elements of the school's human resources the relationship between students' social media use and bullying behavior at school, and the resulting social media management, is examined through a multiple perspective, qualitative design. Using a semi-structured interview form developed by the researcher, data were collected from 24 school administrators, 40 teachers, 10 students, and 10 parents in high schools in the city center of Aksaray. The validity and reliability of the data collection tool were ensured through expert opinions, participant confirmation, and direct reports. The data obtained in the study were analyzed through content analysis. Abstractions were made within this scope. Meaningful pieces of information, such as words and phrases, were converted into codes, and categories and themes were generated based on the similarities between the codes. The research results showed that peer bullying is a widespread problem, occurring mostly in physical and verbal forms. It was observed that bullying behaviors experienced at school mostly originate from family and peers, and students most frequently use Instagram. It was found that social media plays a role in the display of bullying behaviors. Within the context of the school administration's role in managing social media in preventing bullying, it is understood that decisions are predominantly made by school administrators and teachers, but parents and students are not included in the decision-making process. A lack of planning is clearly evident. School administrators undertake the organizational process, but reporting is not provided. It was observed that there is no oversight in fulfilling duties and responsibilities. It can be said that administrative activities at school to reduce bullying through social media management are ineffective. In this context, despite awareness among the school community, it is observed that administrative processes such as decision-making, planning, and organization are not implemented effectively in practice. It is recommended that nationwide policies be developed through family collaboration and studies to support school-level administrative activities.