Defining Individuals According to Bullying

           In the previous blog I discussed some statistics regarding bullies and bully victims. However, I noticed that the academic journal article “The causes and nature of bullying and social exclusion in schools” by Maria el Mar Badia Martin uses peculiar classifications for various degrees of bully involvement. As a result, in order to clarify the statistics found within the previous blog, I will discuss the different types of individuals that exist according to Badia Martin’s academic journal article.

           According to Badia Martin individuals can be classified as the following:

1)      Bullies – These are individuals who are frequently involved in bullying others, but are never or rarely victimized.

2)      Victims – These are individuals who are frequently victimized, but who never or rarely bully others.

3)      Bully/Victims – These are individuals who frequently bully others and become victims of bullying.

4)      Neutrals – These are individuals who neither bully others, nor become victims of bullying themselves.

As can be seen, the definitions that exist regarding individuals and their relationship to bullying are rather intricate. It is interesting to note the varying degrees of involvement a single person can assume within the realm of bullying, from having absolutely no involvement, to being both "the bully" and "the bullied". The definition of the bully/victim is extremely interesting, because a single person assumes the position of the “perpetrator” and “victim” of bullying. Perhaps, the bullying behavior exhibited by the bully/victim is a form of retaliation for bullying done onto them. If this is true, it might explain one mechanism of how bullying perpetuates into a seemingly endless cycle.