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October 1, 2013
"Bullying is, at its core, a human rights violation. [...] We must instill in our youth the ideals of civility and respect." - Kerry Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy Center for Justice and Human Rights
 We needn't look far for stories of a child being bullied on the bus or harassed
on Facebook. These stories, and what they mean for kids who are
bullied, are widely reported and, for many adults, stir painful memories
of childhood and concern for their own children.
But
who are the young people who engage in or endorse bullying? What
motivates their involvement? Without an understanding of why children
bully others, we won't be able to curtail their negative behaviors, and
the stories won't stop.
Bullying
is a form of unprovoked, aggressive behavior that involves a real or
perceived power imbalance. The behavior is either repeated, or has the
potential to be repeated, over time. It can be physical, verbal, or social; cyberbullying is becoming more common. Nearly three in 10 middle and high school students are involved in bullying, either as perpetrators, bystanders, or victims of bullying, or some combination of those. Around 15 percent of youth between 10 and 17 bully others with some frequency, according to parental reports. Here are five things you should understand about youth who bully:
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They don't fit into any one profile
You can't tell which child will bully another by looks, but here are some factors that might be at play. Males report that they are more likely involved in physical and verbal bullying, while girls
are more likely involved in social or psychological bullying. Most
bullying behavior has been found to peak in early adolescence, but social bullying
(e.g., purposeful exclusion, spreading rumors) tends to occur across a
longer developmental period. Bullying behaviors of all forms begin
showing up as early as preschool. Kids who tend to blame others for their actions or who tend to make negative assumptions about others are more likely to engage in bullying,
as are kids who have difficulty following rules or like to have things
their own way, or who have friends who bully others. Some children who
bully have a high social status
and will manipulate or dominate others to protect or raise that status,
while others are easily pressured, are less involved in school, or are
isolated or depressed.
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Some are being bullied themselves
Between six and seven percent of youth have both been bullied and
have bullied others. While it may seem counterintuitive for someone to
fit both these roles, several factors contribute. These youth are more
likely than other youth to react poorly to strong emotions, pay more
attention to negative actions or events when processing social cues, assign hostile intent to benign social interactions, display impulsivity, and endorse retaliation as a tactic for handling conflict. These traits make them more likely to experience conflicts with peers and be less liked by peers, which can create a cycle
of isolation and frustration when it comes to forming and maintaining
relationships. These children tend to have been subjected to more
punitive, abusive treatment in their families than other groups. Even though kids who bully and are being bullied are the smallest proportion of youth involved in bullying, they are often the most vulnerable,
in that they are more likely than non-victimized bullies (who tend to
be more proactive and socially accepted) to have some negative outcomes
(see #4 below).
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Kids play a wide range of roles in bullying
Involvement in bullying is more complex than stereotypes suggest; surveys
of students and teachers are just now beginning to capture the nuances
related to bullying involvement. Some children assist those who are
bullying, by encouraging the behavior or even joining in. Others
reinforce bullying by laughing or providing support for the children who
are bullying. Still more might watch but not indicate being on anyone's
side; even acting as a passive audience or bystander can implicitly
encourage bullying behavior to continue. Most kids are involved in
multiple roles over time. Because of this, it's important to include all children in prevention efforts, not just those who are involved at the moment.
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Kids who bully need help too
Early
intervention can help children stop engaging in bullying behavior; they
can stop hurting others and can even diminish the likelihood of
negative outcomes for themselves. We don't know very much about social
bullies yet, but we do know that children who engage in more-explicit
forms of bullying (such as physical and verbal intimidation) tend, on
average, to attain less education, to have more employment problems, to
be more likely to drink heavily and use illicit drugs, and to have more
police contact as adults. Children who were bullied themselves and bullied others are over six times more likely
than non-involved children to smoke, have a mental illness, or be
diagnosed with a serious illness as adults. They might also be more at risk for depression and suicidal ideation.
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Parents, peers, and schools can reinforce or discourage bullying
Children who have less-involved parents are more likely
to bully others, as are those who have siblings or parents who model or
endorse aggressive behavior. Parenting styles linked to social bullying
include those lacking nurturing or that rely on psychological control
of children; children with parents who manipulate relationships to
assert power or gain attention are also more likely to engage in social
bullying. Having peers or classmates
who act out or tolerate aggressive behaviors increases children's risk
of engaging in all forms of bullying behavior. Schools that ignore
incidents of bullying or lack a clear anti-bullying policy are likely to
have higher rates of bullying.
Early childhood
offers an opportunity for us to start teaching children the skills that
will enable them to regulate their emotions and empathize with others.
As children age, parents should set consistent limits and show kids how to get what they want without hurting others. Schools and districts can create a climate that discourages bullying
by training teachers to identify, intervene in, and follow up with
bullying situations, and by targeting interventions to subgroups of
students as well as to the student body as a whole. Those programs
targeting bullying that involve parents have generally been found to
work, as have those that implement a whole-school approach--one that
trains teachers and staff to model and reinforce positive behavior and
that delivers anti-bullying messages year-round. Bullying is so
pervasive in U.S. culture and media that it can be hard to detect; adults should pay attention to children's relationships and be aware of children who are at risk of becoming involved in bullying, as a perpetrator, victim, or bystander.
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Contributors:
August Aldebot-Green, Kaylor Garcia, and Mary Terzian
10/2013, Publication #2013-41
Child Trends 5 is supported by the Freddie Mac Foundation.
©2013 Child Trends. May be reprinted with citation.
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