<![CDATA[Bullying among university students remains a significant interpersonal problem, yet limited attention has been given to the psychological needs underlying students’ engagement in bullying behavior. This study aimed to explore how bullying behavior may function in relation to Glasser’s five basic psychological needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. A qualitative phenomenological design using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) was employed. An initial bullying screening was administered to 315 university students, from whom nine students who engaged in bullying behavior were selected as qualitative informants. Data were collected through individual interviews and analyzed using the six-stage IPA procedure, followed by theory-informed interpretation based on Glasser’s Choice Theory. The findings identified five forms of bullying: physical, verbal, psychological, relational/emotional, and cyberbullying, while no sexual bullying was reported. Love and belonging were reflected in two participants, survival in one, power in two, and freedom in two, whereas fun was evident across all nine participants. These findings suggest that bullying may function as a maladaptive strategy for obtaining social attention, acceptance, protection, interpersonal dominance, autonomy, or enjoyment. The study highlights the importance of understanding the subjective functions of bullying rather than focusing solely on its observable forms. Counseling interventions based on Choice Theory and Reality Therapy may help students identify underlying needs and develop healthier strategies for fulfilling them without harming others. Keywords: basic psychological needs, bullies, bullying]]>
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