Characteristics of bullies and ramifications of bullying

Mmaotho Segotso | Friday June 19, 2020 14:19

Also, bullies generally have low self-esteem. While some bullies are arrogant and narcissistic, they can also use bullying as a tool to conceal shame or anxiety or to boost self-esteem.  By demeaning others, the abuser feels empowered. Bullies may bully out of jealousy or because they themselves are bullied. Psychologist  Roy Baumeister asserts that people who are prone to abusive behaviour tend to have inflated but fragile egos. Because they think too highly of themselves, they are frequently offended by the criticisms and lack of deference of other people, and react to this disrespect with violence and insults.

Researchers have identified other risk factors such as depression and    personality disorders, as well as quickness to anger and use of force, addiction to aggressive behaviours, mistaking others’ actions as hostile, concern with preserving  self-image, and engaging in obsessive or rigid actions. A combination of these factors may also be causes of this behaviour.

Bullying may also result from a genetic predisposition or a brain abnormality in the bully. While parents can help a toddler develop emotional regulation and control to restrict aggressive behaviour, some children fail to develop these skills due to insecure attachment with their families, ineffective discipline, and environmental factors such as a stressful home life and hostile siblings. 

Moreover, according to some researchers, bullies may be inclined toward negativity and perform poorly academically. Dr. Cook says, “A typical bully has trouble resolving problems with others and also has trouble academically. He or she usually has negative attitudes and beliefs about others, feels negatively toward himself/herself, comes from a family environment characterised by conflict and poor parenting, perceives school as negative and is negatively influenced by peers.”

Research indicates that adults who bully have authoritarian personalities, combined with a strong need to control or dominate. It has also been suggested that a prejudicial view of subordinates can be a particularly strong risk factor.

Brain studies have shown that the section of the brain associated with reward becomes active when bullies are shown a video of someone inflecting pain on another. 

OF TYPICAL BYSTANDERS

Often, bullying takes place in the presence of a large group of relatively uninvolved bystanders. In many cases, it is the bully’s ability to create the illusion they have the support of the majority present that instills the fear of “speaking out” in protestation of the bullying activities being observed by the group. Unless the “bully mentality” is effectively challenged in any given group in its early stages, it often becomes an accepted, or supported, norm within the group.

Unless action is taken, a “ culture of bullying” is often perpetuated within a group for months, years, or longer. Show me your friends, and I’ll tell you who you are.

Bystanders who have been able to establish their own “friendship group” or “support group” have been found to be far more likely to opt to speak out against bullying behaviour than those who have not.

Among adults, being a bystander to workplace bullying was linked to depression, particularly in women.

 

OF VICTIMS

Dr. Cook says, “A typical victim is likely to be aggressive, lack social skills, think negative thoughts, experience difficulties in solving social problems, come from a negative family, school and community environments and be noticeably rejected and isolated by peers.” 

Victims often have characteristics such as being physically and mentally weak, as well as being easily distraught emotionally.

They may also have physical characteristics that make them easier targets for bullies such as being overweight or having some type of physical deformity. Boys are more likely to be victims of physical bullying while girls are more likely to be bullied indirectly.

In relationships the abused are mainly women who don’t have financial muscle and depend on men. However, women who have daddy issues are also prone to abuse as bullies take advantage of their insecurities.

Children who are bullied often show physical or emotional signs, such as: being afraid to attend school, complaining of headaches or a loss of appetite, a lack of interest in school activities and spending time with friends or family, and having an overall sense of sadness.

Mona O’Moore of the Anti-Bullying Centre at Trinity College in Dublin, has written, “There is a growing body of research which indicates that individuals, whether child or adult, who are persistently subjected to abusive behaviour are at risk of stress-related illness which can sometimes lead to suicide.” 

Those who have been the targets of bullying can suffer from long term emotional and behavioural problems. Bullying can cause loneliness, depression,  anxiety, lead to low  self-esteem and increased susceptibility to illness. 

Bullying has also been shown to cause maladjustment in young children, and targets of bullying who were also bullies themselves exhibit even greater social difficulties.  A mental health report also found that bullying was linked to eating disorders, anxiety, body dysmorphia and other negative psychological effects.

 

RAMIFICATIONS

Bullying can have negative short and long-term consequences for both the victim and the bully. While traditional intervention for bullying tends to include getting help for the victim and establishing consequences for the bully, it should be noted that both the victim and the bully benefit from psychosocial support.

All kids are different and are likely to exhibit varying behaviours during or after bullying by a peer. With relational aggression on the rise and cyber-bullying easier than ever, it should be noted that bullying can be ongoing for long periods of time before students seek help.

Effects on the bullied victim can include:

• Social isolation
• Feelings of shame
• Sleep disturbance
• Changes in eating habits
• Low self-esteem
• School avoidance
• Symptoms of anxiety
• Bedwetting
• Higher risk of illness
• Psychosomatic symptoms (stomachaches, headaches, muscle aches, other physical complaints with no known medical cause)
• Poor school performance
• Symptoms of depression

Effects on the bully can include:

• Poor school performance (missed school due to suspensions increases this risk
• Increased truancy risk
• Difficulty maintaining social relationships
• Increased risk of substance abuse

Long-term risks of bullying for the victim

With immediate and proper mental health treatment and support systems in place, victims can stave off some of the potential long-term consequences of bullying. Without intervention, however, kids are at risk for the following:

• Chronic depression
• Increased risk of suicidal thoughts, suicide plans, and suicide attempts
• Anxiety disorders
• Post-traumatic stress disorder
• Poor general health
• Self-destructive behaviour, including self-harm
• Substance abuse
• Difficulty establishing trusting, reciprocal friendships and relationships
• Long-term effects of bullying for the bully
• Without proper treatment, bullying behaviour is likely to continue into adulthood.
• Risk of spousal or child abuse
• Risk of antisocial behaviour
• Substance abuse
• Less likely to be educated or employed

Childhood bullying has serious effects on both short and long-term health of children. Immediate intervention and long-term follow-up can help mediate some of these effects.

It is imperative that schools, families, and communities work together to understand bullying and its consequences and find ways to decrease, and hopefully eradicate, bullying both in schools and communities.