# Latest research, please, on Bullying **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 24, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425 "2009-09-24T22:21:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/1 "2009-09-24T22:21:36Z")
What have they figured out lately about why bullies bully, and what the best way to stop them is? ---
**Author:** ![groman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/73ab20/32.png) [@groman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/groman)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2009, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/2 "2009-09-24T22:27:21Z")
> [@Frylock](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![Iridescent\_Orb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/9de053/32.png) [@Iridescent\_Orb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iridescent_Orb)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/3 "2009-09-25T07:06:30Z")
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: > **[Stanford Prison Experiment](https://www.prisonexp.org/)** 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. ---
**Author:** ![Blake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a9a28c/32.png) [@Blake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blake)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 7:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/4 "2009-09-25T07:38:36Z")
Zimbardo’s experiment has been criticised on so many grounds that it is essentially worthless. ---
**Author:** ![Tom\_Tildrum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@Tom\_Tildrum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tom_Tildrum)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/5 "2009-09-25T20:47:22Z")
Here is a recent [article](http://www.slate.com/id/2223976/) from Slate, which includes a link to a roundup of current research. ---
**Author:** ![YogSothoth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/8edcca/32.png) [@YogSothoth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YogSothoth)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2009, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/6 "2009-09-25T23:01:20Z")
> [@Blake](#): > > Zimbardo’s experiment has been criticised on so many grounds that it is essentially worthless. But its a really cool experiment! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Manwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Manwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manwich)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/7 "2009-09-26T00:34:36Z")
This is almost ten years old now but it does seem to contradict the conventional wisdom that bullies have low self-esteem. [A PDF of an academic paper.](http://www.sju.edu/academics/centers/ivrp/pdf/Baumeister.pdf) [An Australian newspaper article.](http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2002/03/17/1015909915787.html) ---
**Author:** ![dragonlady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/5f8ce5/32.png) [@dragonlady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dragonlady)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/8 "2009-09-26T00:41:14Z")
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… ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 2:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/9 "2009-09-26T02:55:48Z")
> [@Manwich](#): > > This is almost ten years old now but it does seem to contradict the conventional wisdom that bullies have low self-esteem. 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 ;)) ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/10 "2009-09-26T04:14:59Z")
[FWIW.](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18714551?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DiscoveryPanel.Pubmed_Discovery_RA&linkpos=4&log$=relatedreviews&logdbfrom=pubmed) > [@](#): > > Bullying is a complex phenomenon moderated not only by the personal characteristics and behavioral traits of the individual but also by family rearing practices, as well as by situational factors such as the frequency and type of bullying. The phenomenon is also affected by group processes among the individuals present during the event. Bullying is a distressing experience that is often continuous over years and predicts both concurrent and future psychiatric symptoms and disorders, even in adulthood. At young ages, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression, as well as anxiety, are prevalent concurrently with bullying among the children involved. Later in young adulthood, male victims are at risk for anxiety, male bullies for personality disorders, and male bully-victims for both personality disorders and anxiety, and the risk is especially increased if the child is disturbed when involved in bullying at school age. Rarely does any single behavior predict future problems as clearly as bullying does, and additional assessment of psychiatric problems is always warranted, if the child is involved in bullying as a bully, victim or bully-victim. Based on our current knowledge, school-based interventions regulating the behavior of the child, increasing pro-social skills and promoting peer relationships are recommended for those without concurrent psychiatric disturbance, but those displaying psychiatric symptoms and disorders should be referred for psychiatric consultation and intervention. [And …](http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=ED470431&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=ED470431) > [@](#): > > Well-conducted, comprehensive bullying prevention programs can be effective in reducing the number of bullying incidents and creating a climate that discourages bullying behavior. Bullying prevention programs use measures at the school, classroom, and individual levels to send a message that bullying is not acceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. Effective programs require awareness and adult involvement. Such programs have been found to be effective in reducing bullying incidents by as much as 50 percent, while decreasing general antisocial behavior and increasing students’ satisfaction with their school. 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. ---
**Author:** ![Alex\_Dubinsky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dbc845/32.png) [@Alex\_Dubinsky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alex_Dubinsky)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 4:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/11 "2009-09-26T04:41:21Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > 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. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/12 "2009-09-26T12:24:17Z")
**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. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/13 "2009-09-26T12:45:43Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/14 "2009-09-26T12:53:37Z")
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”. ---
**Author:** ![Oregon\_sunshine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/50afbb/32.png) [@Oregon\_sunshine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oregon_sunshine)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/15 "2009-09-26T15:12:51Z")
**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. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/16 "2009-09-26T18:42:46Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#): > > 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. 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. ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/17 "2009-09-26T18:50:31Z")
[This](http://www.child-psych.org/2009/04/bullying-what-makes-child-bully-or.html) is also interesting. > [@](#): > > - Being exposed to domestic violence was one of the stronger risk factors for becoming a bully. The risk for being a perpetrator increased by 50% for those children exposed to domestic violence. Exposure to domestic violence was not associated with becoming a victim of bullying. > > - A history of child maltreatment resulted in a 100% increase in the risk of being a victim of bullying and 50% increase in the risk of become a perpetrator. > > - Finally, children internalizing behavior problems (anxiety, depression) was associated with a 20% increase in the chances becoming a victim but a 20% decrease in the risk of becoming a perpetrator. This makes conceptual sense. Kids with high levels of internalizing symptoms are usually anxious and shy, which may make them more likely to be victims but less likely to be bullies. In contrast, externalizing symptoms at age 5 (aggression) was associated with a 120% increase in the chances of becoming a perpetrator. > > What factors were not associated with bullying? Surprisingly a number of usual suspects did not seem to play a role in predicting either victims or perpetrators, such as neighborhood vandalism, SES, parental anti-social behaviors, and maternal warmth. And [this.](http://www.parentingscience.com/bullying-in-children.html) > [@](#): > > A recent Finnish study has reported that boys who frequently bullied others at the age of 8 years were more likely to suffer from antisocial personality disorder as young adults (Sourander et al 2007b). > > The disorder refers to a condition that was once termed psychopathy or sociopathy. > > People affected by anti-social personality disorder have little respect for the rights of other people. They exhibit what psychologists call “callous/unemotional” traits: showing limited emotions, failing to use empathy, and lacking feelings of guilt or remorse (Fontaine et al 2008). ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [September 27, 2009, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/18 "2009-09-27T00:10:46Z")
And [this JAMA article!](http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/full/285/16/2094) > [@](#): > > Overall, 10.6% of the sample reported bullying others “sometimes” (moderate bullying) and 8.8% admitted to bullying others once a week or more (frequent bullying), providing a national estimate of 2 027 254 youth involved in moderate bullying and 1 681 030 youth in frequent bullying (Table 1). Experiencing bullying was reported with similar frequency, with 8.5% bullied “sometimes” and 8.4% bullied once a week or more, for a national estimate of 1 634 095 students bullied with moderate frequency and 1 611 809 bullied frequently (Table 2). A sizable number of students reported both bullying others and being bullied themselves. Of the total sample, 29.9% (an estimated 5 736 417 youth) reported some type of involvement in moderate or frequent bullying, as a bully (13.0%), a target of bullying (10.6%), or both (6.3%). … > > … This study indicates that bullying is a serious problem for US youth. Consistent with previous studies,1, 7-8,11-12 bullying was reported as more prevalent among males than females and occurred with greater frequency among middle school–aged youth than high school–aged youth. For males, both physical and verbal bullying were common, while for females, verbal bullying (both taunting and sexual comments) and rumors were more common. However, verbal bullying through derogatory statements about one’s religion or race occurred infrequently for both sexes. This finding may reflect stronger social norms among adolescents against such behavior. That is, it may be more socially acceptable for a youth to taunt peers about their appearance than to make derogatory racial statements. > > Both bullying and being bullied were associated with poorer psychosocial adjustment; however, there were notable differences among those bullied, bullies, and those reporting both behaviors. Those bullied demonstrated poorer social and emotional adjustment, reporting greater difficulty making friends, poorer relationships with classmates, and greater loneliness. Youth who are socially isolated and lack social skills may be more likely targets for being bullied. This is consonant with the finding by Hoover and colleagues32-33 that the most frequent reason cited by youth for persons being bullied is that they “didn’t fit in.” At the same time, youth who are bullied may well be avoided by other youth, for fear of being bullied themselves or losing social status among their peers. Considering the high degree of relationship observed, it is likely that both processes occur. Being bullied was also associated with greater parental involvement in school, which may reflect parents’ awareness of their child’s difficulties. Conversely, parental involvement may be related to a lower level of independence among these youth, potentially making them more vulnerable to being bullied. Interestingly, being bullied was associated with less frequency of alcohol use and had a nonlinear relationship with smoking. This is not altogether surprising, given Farrington’s34-35 finding that socially inept youth were less likely to be involved in delinquency than other youth. > > Persons who bullied others were more likely to be involved in other problem behaviors such as drinking alcohol and smoking. They showed poorer school adjustment, both in terms of academic achievement and perceived school climate. Yet they reported greater ease of making friends, indicating that bullies are not socially isolated. Considering their greater involvement in other problem behaviors, it is likely that these youth have friends who endorse bullying and other problem behaviors, and who may be involved in bullying as well. > > Those youth who reported both bullying and being bullied demonstrated poorer adjustment across both social/emotional dimensions and problem behaviors. Considering the combination of social isolation, lack of success in school, and involvement in problem behaviors, youth who both bully others and are bullied may represent an especially high-risk group. It is not known whether these youth were first bullied and then imitated the bullying behavior they experienced or whether they were bullies who then received retaliation. Current understanding tends to support the former explanation. Olweus2 describes a small subset of bullied youth he terms “provocative victims,” individuals who demonstrate both anxious and aggressive behavior patterns and who are known for starting fights and engaging in disruptive behavior. Pellegrini and colleagues36-37 further discuss the “aggressive victim,” defined as youth who respond to bullying with reactive aggression. These youth do not tend to use aggression in a proactive or instrumental manner, but rather are aggressive in retaliatory circumstances. > > The patterns of relationships between bullying/being bullied and psychosocial adjustment observed in this study were similar across age and sex groups, providing support for the stability of the findings. The differences that emerged may be useful for those conducting research or developing interventions targeting specific populations. For example, the stronger relationship between bullying and smoking observed among middle school youth may reflect an association of bullying with deviance; as smoking becomes more normative in the older youth, it is less associated with bullying. The lack of a relationship between being bullied and poorer friendship-making among high school females could indicate that by this age, females are more apt to find a peer group in which they “fit,” even though the peer group may consist of youth of similar social status.38 > > Several limitations of the study should be noted. The HBSC is a broadly focused survey regarding the health behaviors of middle– and high school–aged youth. As such, more in-depth information, such as might be obtained from an intervention study addressing bullying, are not available. This study includes middle– and high school–aged youth but does not address elementary school youth. The data are cross-sectional, and as such, the direction of relationships among the variables cannot be determined. Another limitation is the reliance on self-report for measurement of bullying. While self-report is a common and accepted method of measuring bullying, individual perceptions of bullying nevertheless may vary. To minimize subjectivity, students were provided with a detailed definition of bullying along with examples. > > While research on the long-term consequences of bullying is minimal, the studies that have been conducted show negative effects into adulthood. Olweus39 found former bullies to have a 4-fold increase in criminal behavior at the age of 24 years, with 60% of former bullies having at least 1 conviction and 35% to 40% having 3 or more convictions. Their earlier pattern of achieving desired goals through bullying likely inhibited the learning of more socially acceptable ways of negotiating with others. Conversely, individuals formerly bullied were found to have higher levels of depression and poorer self-esteem at the age of 23 years, despite the fact that, as adults, they were no more harassed or socially isolated than comparison adults.40 Those who have been bullied may view such treatment as evidence that they are inadequate and worthless and may internalize these perceptions. No study has assessed the long-term outcomes for those who both bully others and are bullied. Given their initial poorer adjustment status, it is possible that they fare worse than either bullies or those bullied. 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. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 9:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/19 "2009-09-28T09:54:50Z")
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. ---
**Author:** ![ivan\_astikov](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/58f4c7/32.png) [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2009, 10:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425/20 "2009-09-28T10:05:56Z")
Now, a couple of quibbles: > [@](#): > > Exposure to domestic violence was not associated with becoming a victim of bullying. Is that a fact? What is “domestic violence” if it is not someone being bullied, then? And one of yours: > [@](#): > > 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. 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. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/latest-research-please-on-bullying/511425.md?page=2)