What have they figured out lately about why bullies bully, and what the best way to stop them is?
I have no cite, but I remember reading (as well as my personal experience backs this up) is that the majority of people (but not all) would be bullies given certain circumstances – it has something to do with accidentally getting into the role and just staying there.
Again, no cite, but in my personal experience the best way to stop them is a solid punch to the face.
Not “current”, but a classic piece of research on bullying was the Stanford Prison Experiment by Philip Zimbardo. Link to Zimbardo’s website on the experiment:
Basically, students were divided into prisoner and guard roles, and the guards became progressively more cruel and sadistic as the experiment progressed. Controversial not only for its findings, but also for the damage it inflicted upon the participants.
Zimbardo’s experiment has been criticised on so many grounds that it is essentially worthless.
Here is a recent article from Slate, which includes a link to a roundup of current research.
But its a really cool experiment! 
This is almost ten years old now but it does seem to contradict the conventional wisdom that bullies have low self-esteem.
I don’t have the research, but yesterday at 14 YO boy ran out in front of a car, attempting suicide, in my town. After weeks of being told he was worthless and should just kill himself, by other students at his high school. If he is not ultimately successful, the head injury is such that he will never be the same…
Yeah… that was always wishful thinking by the bullied kids.
Bullies bully because it’s fun and everyone likes to be strong and amuse their peers.
The best way to stop them is to grow a pair. (easier said than done of course, but recent research suggests bullying people yourself might just be the ticket to giving you the confidence you need ;))
Interestingly other research shows that younger children and those with no experience being bullied are more likely to believe that “growing a pair” or ignoring it the bully works well. Older children and those who have actually experienced bullying are not as often so naive. The real schoolyard jungle is tougher than that. They rely on having allies. Having a larger circle of friends is protective. Anecdotally I most admired the smart funny kids who could disarm a bully with one liners. But that is a very particular skill set. And because they were funny they also usually had friends.
So growing a pair is worthless, but confidently retorting with one-liners works well? See a relationship?
In truth, the people who have friends, are funny, and have social skills, will not be the victims of bullying. People who have personality problems, other deficits, etc, will. And the people who have those problems probably won’t be able to fix them, so the “grow a pair” advice might be true in a sense but unrealistic. (Also, if one suddenly does grow a pair, the change will take considerable time to be assimilated by others and so may appear ineffective at first as well.)
In some ways, childhood teasing is also a positive element during development. Adults don’t point out eachothers’ flaws, but kids’ predeliction toward doing so actually helps individuals toward self-improvement at a time when self-change is most possible. I do think that’s part of how evolution designed us to grow up. Of course, this only works up to a point (and least for the worst cases). Yet it makes me uncomfortable when people suggest to do away with any kind of potentially ‘offensive’ behavior entirely.
Alex, yup to self improve upon those “other deficits”, those flaws like, oh being short, or having pimples, or (Great Britain) being a ginger, or not enjoying sports and being poor at it, or otherwise being a nerd or a geek, or liking different music or clothes, or having a mental illness, or a developmental disability, or a physical disability, or speaking with an accent, or having a speech impediment, or being gay, or of a minority social or cultural group …
Yes, being confident, and funny, and having a strong social network is protective from bullying. There are a few kids who come that way, it’s true. But only a few. Those who are, like most kids, a bit insecure, and those who do not have the quick wit to wield as an effective tool, and who may be a bit shy or don’t fit in well with the majority social group, and those who may have some mental illness, are at greater risk. That much is true.
But being bullied does not generally foster self improvement so much as it fosters conformity (or the appearance of) at any cost, current and future risk of depression and suicide, and a general sense of negative self worth. I can see no case where bullying is “positive element during development” and the research, such as it is, bears out only its immediate and long term negatives.
But reacting to a bully in a way they are not expecting - ie. with 30 seconds of unleashed fury, designed to cause said bully to think twice about making you a target again - can be very life affirming.
Quick question: Do you ever see bullies picking on the “cock” of the school playground? Or anyone who is known to be “game”?
In case you are unsure, the answer is “No”.
Alex:
I can’t believe that in this day and age, people still think being “bullied” (it’s a euphemism for beatings, harassment, intimidation, threats, and humiliation, and thus the quotes) is good for the victims. Like domestic violence, also very misunderstood, it is a serious crime perpetrated against someone. Someone who doesn’t deserve it, period.
I was “bullied” in school for over ten years, this behavior never came from anyone else after I left school, and at age 41 I’m just now getting over the scars the experience left. The daily crimes my peers visited on me did not do me one bit of good, but just added a layer of despair and self-recrimination that precluded other healthy changes until they were dealt with.
Nothing I ever did, from trying to conform, ignoring the attacks, retaliating (aka “growing a pair”, which got me nothing but in trouble with the teachers and laughed at some more), reporting to authorities, ever helped or alleviated the situation. Most of the time my attempts at stopping the bullying resulted in an even worse situation for me. And no situation after my K-12 school years resulted in my being harassed by my peers.
It’s unbelievable that anyone who actually went through any long-term bullying experience would imagine that it is healthy and promotes positive changes in its victims… Or that they somehow deserve the treatment, or in many cases, that they can do anything to stop it.
And can often get the bullied suspended while the bully gets off free and clear and make the bullied a future target for the entertainment value of seeing the reaction.
As to “cock” or “game” of the playground - can’t say I even know what the hell you are talking about.
Oregon Sunshine articulates it well. The bullied are put in a position of powerlessness, helplessness, and hopelessness in which often all paths lead to bad outcomes. The GQ was “what does current research show?” - That answer is clear: Being bullied has immediate and long term serious consequences. Schools can, with a concerted effort, create an environment in which bullying occurs less often.
If have some other data to share, please do.
Please note that bit near the end: bullies are 4x more likely than their peer group to have engaged in criminal behavior by 24 yo and 60% of them will have at least one conviction by then. The behavior is associated with bad outcomes for all involved.
Bullies bully because they can; there, in many schools, do not exist the social constraints against it enough to prevent it. They have often had domestic violence as a model. The ring leaders do it because they are aware that targeting an identified other coalesces followers around them. For some the tactic that worked as a child, persists into adulthood and often fails to serve them well. Prevention by creating a school wide culture that does not tolerate bullying behaviors is possible and has been shown to work. It can help both the bully and the bullied avoid long term adverse outcomes form the behaviors.
That’s very interesting, DSeid. I wonder if any of those researchers know what “cock” and “game” means in relationship to growing up in a public school system?
For your edification at least, “cock” means the toughest kid in the school or age group/class, in the UK, and “game” means someone who will always “have a go”, no matter what you throw at them - even if it means getting a “kicking”.
If you need any more words explaining, feel free to ask.
Now, a couple of quibbles:
Is that a fact? What is “domestic violence” if it is not someone being bullied, then?
And one of yours:
If a pupil who has no previous record of hitting other pupils, out of the blue attacks another pupil, who happens to be one of the school “toe-rags”, I’d hope common sense would prevail on the day. Plus, you can punish the child wrongly, but at least it will have had the satisfaction of seeing it’s tormenter with a bloody nose or black eye.