The Characteristics of Bullies 2

On this blog I will continue my discussion in regards to the characteristics exhibited by bullies, as discussed within the academic journal article “Bullying in School: An Overview of Types, Effects, Family Characteristics, and Intervention Strategies”, by Paul R. Smokowski and Kelly Holland Kopasz.

The journal article points out that bullies usually tend to have problems with interacting with other individuals socially. In fact, bullies often tend to interpret other peoples’ behaviors as antagonistic, even if they are not. However, this is not always the case.  In fact, Smokowsi and Kopasz report that one study has found that bullies have an easier time making friends than other individuals. As a result, some researchers have created two distinct subtypes of bullies that vary in regards to their peer social status. The two subcategories include popular aggressive bullies and unpopular aggressive bullies. Popular aggressive bullies socialize with other popular children and do not seem to encounter any major social problem. On the other hand, unpopular aggressive bullies are rejected or neglected by their peers. However, both popular and unpopular aggressive children tend to act aggressively towards adults to the point of imposing their strength and defiant attitude.

The distinction between popular aggressive bullies and unpopular aggressive bullies is really interesting. However, I really question the validity of referring to bullies as “popular.” Are these bullies really popular or are they forcing their peers into conforming to their actions? Although it may seem like a harsh comparison, I would compare “popular aggressive bullies” to dictators. In both cases, bystanders have the option of following along or becoming a victim of bullying themselves. Instead of seeing the distinction made by researchers as enlightening, I see this distinction as a move towards the normalization of bullying. In fact, it may be that bullies are highly selective of their victims and only choose to victimize individuals who they assume are weaker than them and are thus easier to subdue. In either case, it seems to me that some researchers are trying to lessen the severity of bullying. Bullies are bullies, and their popularity does not change the severity of their actions. In regards to bullies trying to impose their will onto teachers, a possible explanation may be that bullies feel protected under the current system of education. The combination of bullies knowing that their actions are seldom reprimanded at severe level and knowing that teachers cannot physically reprimand them, may be creating a false sense of invincibility. As a result, it seems that changes need to be made to the way bullies are handled within school settings.