Who bullies and who gets bullied???
The Bullies
One very common myth is that bullies are unpopular kids who have poor self esteem and pick on others in order to boost their own sense of self. Recent studies have shown that this is FALSE.
Bullies often have a lot of friends and are regarded very highly by their peers. They tend to have high self esteem and take pride in the fact that they can boss others around and pick on whomever they want. Both girls and boys can be bullies. Research tells us that boys take on the role of the bully more often than girls. This statistic can be deceiving though because boys tend to be the aggressive, physical bullies who get caught while girl bullies take the more passive route by spreading rumors or name calling. Click on "Profile of a Bully" below to be linked to a video showing both a sophomore in high school and a clinical psychologist giving their interesting perspectives on the profile of a bully. You will hear and see both of their opinions by watching from 1:15-3:55 of the clip although I encourage you to watch the video in its entirety if time allows you to do so. Profile of a Bully |
The Bullied
Much like bullies, the victims of bullying can come in many shapes, sizes, and colors. However, most victims do have characteristics that deviate from the norm. Keep in mind that the "norm" differs from place to place and school to school. A certain characteristic that brought on bullying in one school may be a sign of popularity in another.
Some common characteristics of victims are:
I invite you to take a look at the link below titled, "Psychological Profiles of Bullies and Victims". It is a short article that gives a great overview of what to look for in both bullies and their victims. Psychological Profiles of Bullies and Victims |