Bullying article (the bully inside us: the gang in the mind)

It exists literally, figuratively, and psychologically, as a phenomenon both in the outside world and in our mentality.
Laurens ideas had become a gang in her mind (H. Rosenfelds felicitous phrase, 1971, p.249), a gang set lose on
her husband and me.
But the conflicted relationship is internal too, and inescapable. The bully wants something that can be
withheld:recognition, submission, completion. The roles threaten to reverse, tempering triumph and mollifying defeat.
Each of us lives with gangs in the mind and we feel protected and persecuted, and use them to persecute others... it
conveys the idea that a bullying group exists in the mind... It has a defensive purpose to keep itself in power and so maintain
the status quo The leader is, of course, an aspect of the thinker oneself
The infant experiences his caretakers in terms of a group, first comes to exist as part of a group, and, organizes and
personifies its experiences via by utilizing the paranoidschizoid mode of thinking. Via the developmentally early
mechanisms of splitting and projection (projectiveidentification), preverbal, bipolar1 ideas and concepts are born. Because
its thinking remains fluid and fragmented, the infant finds itself in a fantasmic world of bits of me and not-me (us and notus); good and bad; friend and foe; strong and weak. During this normal maturation process, the infant gradually takes mental
ownership of its fragmentary concepts of people and animated objects, and amalgamates them into simple categories:gangs
that nurture and protect; gangs that persecute.
functioning of the early ego: how the infant negotiates need, frustration, and aggression, through defenses of
splitting and projective identification. Bipolar perceiving, thinking and grouping into good/bad represent developmental
milestones, cognitiveemotional achievements for the infant.
Bipolar thinking remains, however, the fallback position in individuals and groups, and activate in situations of
anxiety, felt powerlessness, and threats to identity. The greater the sense of discomfort, fear, or uncertainty, the more likely
our mental response will be influenced by a level of thinking that is both primitive and violent: We perceive an enemya
potential bullythat must be vanquished.
In other words, bad objects (potential thoughts) function like bullies in the mind. This sense of being threatened and
overwhelmed by a force greater than the self is first experienced intrapsychically, as the individual is confronted with the
need to think. The experience of being beset by bad objects may be dealt with constructively to the extent to which one is not
overwhelmed with envy and hatred, and does not succumb to splitting and evacuation. Absence of needed objectsincluding
objects of knowledge such as the complexities of ones feelings or anothersstimulates thinking if one tolerates frustration.
To escape from the complexities of the mature mind and mature relationships, all individuals have tendencies to gang with
others who collude in the regression to bipolarity. Finding an outsiderwhether someone different in the group, or external
to itmay help create cohesion.
Motivation in forming groups is protection from bullyingfrom ones own aggression and that of others.
But the task is complicated by the reality that all participants are constrained by loyalties to their respective
Establishments, and they exist structurally, inside, as well as outside, the mind.
But, even when individual attitudes begin to challenge and modify the inner Establishment, existing social roles and
structures may make change difficult to deploy.
I have been suggesting that whenever there is an unequal power balance, the potential for bullying exists in the
world and in the mind.
It is probably not possible to engage in a relationship with another (or others), where there is total equality. That is,
human interactions involve shifting positions of power and, I have suggested, a dimension of bullying, anticipated, or real.
Hegels dialectic of mutual recognition, power is sought not for its own sake, but to compel recognition that would
not otherwise be forthcoming.
theorized that each individual, bound by ties of identification, builds an ego ideal (later called superego)
consisting of numerous group mindsthose of race, class, nationality, and so forthall of which become embodied in a
leader. ...In social, as well as psychoanalytic, relationships, we strive for and enjoy moments of mutual recognitionsubject
subject relationships. To exist democratically and interdependently with others is an achievement on intrapsychic,
interpersonal, and political levels. However, given the tendency to regress to bipolar thinking and behaviorparticularly
when in groupsthe question remains to the extent and ease to which independence and self-governance is sustainable. As a
group animal (Bion, 1961, p. 91) with an archaic heritage (Freud, 1921, p. 127), we gravitate toward the bully, in
ourselves and in others, particularly when stressed, anxious, or frustrated.
In sum, I have offered five key ideas. (1) Bullyingbullied dynamics originates, and remains, in the domain of the
paranoidschizoid position, involving shifting, bipolar perceptions of self and others as good or bad. (2) Bullyingbullied
dynamics emerge immediately and unmediated by thought in situations of emotional intensity, i.e., frustration, anxiety, threat,
challenge, and competition.(3) These dynamics represent an aspect of our inheritance as a herd animal, which play out in all
societies and groups, families, and dyads, psychoanalytic and otherwise. (4) Bullying is linked, metapsychologically, to the

creation and sustenance of the superego (Freud, 1921). (5) Each individual is both the bully and bullied, and an aspect of
mutual recognition resides in acknowledging the pleasure as well as the pain in our co-participation.

Bullying article (psychology of bullying)

Thus, bullying behavior is not just the result of individual characteristics, but is influenced by multiple relationships with
peers, families, teachers, neighbors, and interactions with societal influences.
...bullying perpetration has been associated with callous-unemotional traits, psychopathic tendencies, endorsement of
masculine traits, conduct problems, antisocial personality traits, susceptibility to peer pressure, anxiety, and depression.
An aggressive youth diagnosed with conduct disorder might bully others because of a predisposing trait related to the
diagnosis of conduct disorder. Alternatively, youth who are rewarded for bullying behaviors (e.g., through enhanced status or
popularity, access to goods) may continue bullying, develop further aggressive behaviors, and eventually meet criteria for a diagnosis
of conduct disorder.
A number of family characteristics have been linked to bullying perpetration, including family members involvement in
gangs, poor parental supervision, negative family environment, parental conflict, domestic violence, low parental communication, lack
of parent emotional support, authoritarian parenting, inappropriate discipline, and parental abuse. Causal direction has not been
clearly established
... as genetic factors have been shown to account for 61% of the variation in bullying behavior.
Affiliation with aggressive peers is also associated with greater bullying perpetration, as is peer victimization, and negative
relationships with classmates the tendency to affiliate with similar peers.
Bystanders, however, often respond in ways that encourage rather than discourage bullying.
...about 20% of students are viewed as encouraging bullying, and another 7% as actively supporting or participating in the
bullying. Only 17% of students, mostly girls, are identified by peers as defenders who intervened on behalf of victims.
High social status may lend confidence to ones capacity to intervene and reduce concerns about retaliation.
Higher levels of bullying and victimization have been linked to inappropriate teacher responses, poor teacher-student
relationships, lack of teacher support, and lack of engagement in school activities.
...with higher levels of bullying linked to negative or unsafe neighborhoods, gang affiliation, and poverty. Research has also
linked bullying perpetration to exposure to violent TV and video games.
Rather, bullying stems from complex interactions between individuals and the contexts in which they function, both
proximal and distal.
Studies addressing issues of causality have found that bullying perpetration often leads to anxiety and depression, social
withdrawal and delinquent behavior, poor academic achievement, and adult diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder.
Thus, bully perpetrators experience adverse psychological consequences, a result that does not garner much empathy, given
the publics advocacy for suspension, expulsion, and incarceration for aggressive behavior.
Diathesis-stress models propose that psychopathology occurs as the result of combination of individual cognitive or
biological vulnerabilities (i.e., diathesis) and certain environmental stressors. Further, these models posit that both negative life events
and ones cognitions about those events contribute to the development of internalizing and externalizing psychopathology.
We view bullying as a stressful life event that places vulnerable youth at risk for a host of negative outcomes, regardless of
type of involvement (e.g., bully, bully-victim, victim).
Stressful life events play a primary role in the development of depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress
disorder...Negative life events are also related to the onset and maintenance of anxiety disorders, with anxious individuals seeing the
world as a threatening place, and interpreting events through a lens of worry and fear suggest that childrens feelings of anxiety about
social situations, when paired with behavioral inhibition, can serve as a cognitive diathesis, with peer victimization functioning as an
added stressor.
...the three traits identified as core characteristics of psychopathy in youth-callous-unemotional traits, narcissism, and
impulsivity. Impulsivity and narcissism predicted high levels of bullying in early adolescence, regardless of levels of callousness or
conduct problems. However, all three psychopathic traits contributed to greater levels of reported bullying, and the combination of
callous-unemotional traits and conduct problems predicted the highest levels of bullying, even as levels of bullying generally declined
with age.
...a recent meta-analysis documents the tendency for children and youth who bullyothers to morally disengage, a
cognitive mechanism that allows individuals to justify and rationalize cruel behavior in ways that make it seem less harmful.
According to diathesis-stress models, the development of psychological difficulties occurs through the interaction of an
individuals biological and cognitive vulnerabilities and stressful life experiences.
If negative events are attributed to global, stable, and internal cognitive schemas, and negative beliefs about self, world, and
future, individuals are at increased risk for internalizing and externalizing problems.

 Beliefs about the self, world, and future are rooted in early experiences, with stable cognitive structures beginning to
solidify around age of 9. By adolescence, abstract thinking becomes more advanced, allowing youth to develop more stable concepts
about themselves, the world, and the future. Negative self-concept
...bullying perpetration might result from activation of a threat schema (everyone is going to bully me), which can promote
negative self - other beliefs (Id better ruin her reputation before she ruins mine), leading the individual to become aggressive in social
relationships in order to maintain power and control. Individuals who bully others might also operate from hostile schemas about self
or others (I deserve what I can take from others or Losers deserve what they get), leading to negative beliefs about others and a sense
of entitlement, supporting the tendency to morally disengage regarding bullying.
Spare Parts Book
Kids mocked him for his misshapen head and, once he got to middle school, they laughed at his unibrow. I didnt understand why
people would do that, Lorenzo says.
They want you to get angry. So if you give that to them, they win. Fredi Lajvardi
The Brain of a Bully
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/12/the-brain-of-a-bully/?_r=0
Researchers from the University of Chicago used brain scan technology to find out. They wanted to learn whether the brain of an
aggressive youth responds differently to violence than the brain of someone who is not a bully.
...the researchers compared eight 16-18 year old boys who were unusually aggressive to a control group of adolescent boys with no
unusual sign of aggression.
The youth were tested with functional magnetic resonance imaging to see how their brains reacted while watching video clips.
(people in pain)
When the aggressive youths watched people intentionally inflicting pain on another, the scan showed a response in the part of the
brain associated with reward and pleasure...youths who were not aggressive didnt show the same brain response journal Biological
Psychology, suggets that the brains natural impulse for empathy may be disrupted in the brain of a bully..
...the aggressive adolescents showed a strong activation of the amygdala and ventral striatum, areas of the brain that respond to
feeling rewarded they enjoyed watching pain..Notably, the control group of youths who werent prone to aggressive behavior
showed a response in the medial prefrontal cortex and the temporoparietal junction, areas of the brain involved in self regulation.

Bullies are not born, they are raised

http://www.kevinmd.com/blog/2012/04/bullies-born-raised.html
Some studies indicate that some (not all) bullies have naturally aggressive and/or hyperactive personalities from the start. Some. But
that doesnt mean that all spirited kids will bully while all mellow kids will be perfectly empathic and kind. Those are just a
couple of traits that have been identified in some bullies.
Bullies do tend to have a few things in common:
Immature social skills
Lack of compassion and empathy
Poor impulse control
Watch more aggressive TV shows and play more aggressive video games
It can be useful, however, to understand some of the reasons why kids become bullies:
1. Strained parental relationships. Bullies often lack warm, caring, and involved parents. Parents of bullies tend to be highly
competitive and place unreasonable demands on their children to be superior to other kids. These parents often have prejudices based
on race, sex, wealth, and achievements. They teach their children to compete at all costs, and to win by whatever means.
2. Inconsistent discipline. Bullies often lack consistent discipline at home.
3. Poor academic performance. Some kids bully in response to academic stress. When they struggle in the classroom and feel that
they are not being helped, they may begin to lose hope. When hope is lost, children act out
4. Unsupportive peer networks. Children who are isolated and feel disliked or unsupported by peers often turn to bullying to gain
some social control.
5. Child abuse. There is ample evidence that children who are physically abused by their parents turn around and bully other kids.
These same kids are likely to develop anxiety, depression, and drug & alcohol problems and will probably abuse their own kids later

in life.
6. Victims of bullies. Many bullies have actually been victims of bullies at another time...so that they will no longer be victimized.
7. Low self-esteem. that bullies tend to struggle with self-esteem... mask their true inner feelings. They lack self-confidence, struggle
to fit in, and are often ridiculed and marginalized by their own parents and/or siblings.

WHY KIDS BULLY AND HOW WE CAN HELP THEM CHANGE THEIR BEHAVIOR
http://www.edubabbling.com/why-kids-bully-and-how-we-can-help-them-change-their-behavior/
Top Reasons Why Kids Bully:
1. The child may have an unfulfilled need of their own which is not being satisfied: This could be lack of success, low selfesteem or low self-worth.
2. Poor Modeling of Behavior: This could occur through overly permissive or distant parents. It can also include parents who use
strict discipline, usually in the form of inappropriate physical means. Lastly, it may involve an older sibling who routinely picks on or
bullies the child.
3. Increase in Social Status: Often bullying another child, particularly one who stands out as weaker or different raises the
social status of the bully.
4. Lack of Social Skills: The child who turns to bullying is often lacking in social skills. They tend to not be able to deal
appropriately with emotions such as anger which everyone has to encounter in their life.
5. Minimal Consequences: In many cases bullying is allowed to proceed with minimal consequences, sometimes both at school and
at home. A lack of consequences will only reinforce this behavior in the child.
6. Lack of Supervision: Once again, this can occur at school and at home. In schools where supervision is lacking, bullying
increases greatly.
7. Lack of Empathy: How can I possibly say that a child lacks empathy? This is such a key important factor it needed a category
all to itself. Some children DO lack empathy. It is due to this inability to relate to their victim on a human level that the tormenting
continues unabated.
How to Help A Child Change Bullying Behavior:
1. Provide good positive modeling of positive behavior: Parents are a model in their childrens eyes every minute of every day.
The child will need good adult role models and mentors.
2. Seek Counselling: Schools are able to access such services and have many programs to offer.
3. Active Supervision at Home and School
4. Clear, consistent expectations with significant consequences and accountability: No act of aggression or bullying should go
unchallenged.
5. Focus upon the Strengths of the Child: The child needs to be built up. Self-esteem build.
6. Watch the Peer Group: Take an interest in the peer group of the child. If you find similar behavior being exhibited in the friends,
challenge it by calling the school principal.
7. Become an Anti-bullying Advocate: Advocate for anti-bullying policies and have your child join the stop the bullying team.
8. Do not Shelter the Child: If the child victimizes someone they need to face the music or it will become a never ending cycle of
behavior
How it All Begins: The Birth of a Bully
http://www.teensafe.com/blog/begins-birth-bully/
Research has shown that bullying has little to do with particular victims, but bullying is a product of the bullys own personal
difficulties. This stems from personality problems, self-esteem issues, poor emotional control, and learned tendencies. Unfortunately
for the victim, a lot of times they are just in the wrong place at the wrong time.
The bully picks a victim, based on the reactions they are able to stir up in a victim. ...She believes if a victim responds with crying,
cringing in fear, shouting angrily back, or threatening to tell the bullying will continue.
About 30 percent of 6th through 12th graders admit to bullying classmates and almost 28 percent of the student population has
experienced bullying in some form.

There are basically two classification of bullies. Those who possess low self-esteem and the bullies who suffer from high self-esteem
similar to narcissism.
A child who struggles to fit in or be part of the group is a good example of a bully suffering from low self-esteem. These isolated
bullies ...They are left with feelings of rejection and depression.
Research has suggested that some low self esteem bullies are typically raised around conflicts at home or have been bullied
themselves. Abuse and neglect is damaging to a developing child and being raised in a frightening environment can wreak havoc on a
forming childs psyche.That being stated, there are a lot of children who develop bully tendencies that are raised in loving homes.
high self-esteem. These children often exhibit signs of entitlement and feel that they deserve special treatment in the world around
them. These bullies often react when their egos suffer from insults or if they feel dissed. Irrational anger is usually the preferred
defense used to hide their fear of not being in control.Research is starting to show that high self-esteem bullying is a lot more
prevalent than bullies with low self-esteem. This type of bullying usually picks up around the middle school years. By early
adolescence bullying takes a more psychological turn by spreading rumors, ostracizing, and cyberbullying.
Parents do play a role in a childs personality, but there comes a time when the child is responsible for making their own choices.
A bully can redeem themselves, lose the stigma, and emerge a better person.
Research has shown that when adults step in and take control of a bullying situation it stops within 10 seconds about 57 percent of
the time.
Provocative new study finds bullies have highest self esteem, social status, lowest rates of depression
http://news.nationalpost.com/health/provocative-new-study-finds-bullies-have-highest-self-esteem-social-status-lowest-rates-ofdepression
A just-published Canadian study has added heft to a provocative new theory about bullying: that the behaviour is literally in the
genes, an inherited trait that actually helps build social rank and sex appeal
But researchers at Simon Fraser University surveyed a group of Vancouver high school students and found bullies were the least
likely to be depressed, had the highest self-esteem and the greatest social status.
Most anti-bullying programs try to change the behaviour of bullies and they usually dont work, says Wong, who reviewed the
literature on program outcomes for her PhD thesis. Thats probably because the behaviour is biologically hard-wired, not learned, she
says.
Indeed, fascinating research involving another Canadian expert offers some support for that idea. A pilot project at an Arizona school
sought to steer students identified as bullies into high-status jobs like being the schools front-door greeters..
...the bullies among 178 teenagers surveyed by the professor and his colleagues got more sex than everyone else.
...where the notion that many people bully because it is in their nature and cant be easily changed is troublesome.
But the type of bullies Frenette cites, and that often are the public face of the problem, form a separate category, well-defined by
psychologists, called bully-victims, says Volk, the St. Catharines, Ont., professor
Evidence indicates it is the pure bullies, however, who account for 80-90% of bullying, yet are more socially adept, more popular
and fly more under the radar, says Volk.
They are the focus of the evolutionary psychology theory, which says bullying is an adaptive behavior, a genetic edge to gain better
sexual opportunities, physical protection and mental health.
Volk does not believe bullies are exactly hard-wired, more that they have a genetic predisposition, which could be countered by
changes in their environment. Changes like giving them ways to more positively channel their aggressive bent.
These kids arent stupid, they know what theyre doing, theyre doing it for a reason, he says. Were not saying give up on
punishment necessarily, but what about the carrot?
APeek Inside The Mind of a Bully
http://leiken.com/a-peak-inside-the-mind-of-a-bully/
Are they really all virtually sociopaths, truly lacking all connection with the basics of feeling anything for others?
Not in my experience. There is actually a spectrum of bullies in that regard, only a few whom fit that category, and many of them
suffer from the I am special so the rules dont apply to me complex, not really from being a sociopath.
Many video games help kids becomes desensitized and less moral. Grand Theft Auto allows kids to shoot cops, have sex with
prostitutes, steal cars and get rewarded for it. The US Military uses the most violent video games to desensitize soldiers to killing.
They find that the more comfortable they are just seeing enemies as fun targets on a screen, the more at ease they are with killing them
off the screen.

Many teens live with a sense that they are perpetually just one wrong choice or comment away from failure or rejection. Beyond
worrying about school failure (you wont get into a good college and thus your life is doomed which is flawed thinking that is
endlessly perpetuated by many adults), their bigger fear comes in the form of worrying about being abandoned by the peer group, the
modern equivalent of being kicked out of the tribe especially because they spend the majority of their lives now in the tribe of their
peers.
In 1950 youth between the ages of 12 to 18, spent 60 hours a week with adults and only 12 alone with peers.
In 2010, this age group spends 60 hours a week in contact with peers, and less than 12 with adults.
In wired homes in America (those where every one has their own computer), parents spend on average 4 minutes a day of
uninterrupted time with their kids.
Todays kids are influenced mostly by machines (6 hours a day of screen time is the national average for todays teens), institutions
(kids typically outnumber adults 24 to 1 in schools and spend 7 hours a day there 170 days a year) and countless hours a day being
influenced by peers.
They are doing it and are okay with doing it because it is what they feel they need to do to survive, in a stressful, competitive world.
It takes more than 4 minutes a day to raise kids to be morally and socially conscious people.
It takes more than 12 hours a week of contact and attention from adults to influence kids to choose the values of mature adult culture
over the values of popular adolescent culture.
It takes more than just parents teaching kids about right and wrong, for kids to adopt these same beliefs.
What are the causes of bullying
http://nobullying.com/what-are-the-causes-of-bullying/
What makes a bully can be complex, and can can include a number of factors. Some people even find themselves being occasional
bullies without even realizing it. Heres some of the things that motivate people to bully others.
Causes of Bullying: Feeling Powerless in Their Own Lives: Bullying, whether verbal, physical, or both is one way
people claim a sort of power in their lives by seeking out those who seem vulnerable and attacking some aspect of their
personality that makes them stand out.Sometimes the feelings of powerlessness come from a problem at home. For kids, this
might be a situation such as excessive fighting in the home, parents getting a divorce, or a close family member suffering
from an addiction to drugs or alcohol.
Causes of Bullying: Someone Else is Bullying Them: In many cases, bullying begets bullying. A person may feel
bullied by their parents, their boss, or an older sibling. Getting bullied by any of these people who are in an assumed position
of authority may tempt some to claim a sort of authority for themselves through bullying, rather than reaching out for help in
dealing with their own issues in a more productive way.Cyber bullying, or bullying others online is often a byproduct of
someone being bullied in their offline life.
Causes of Bullying: Bullies are often jealous of or frustrated with the person they are bullying: When a person picks
on someone for always being the first to raise their hand in class, or getting the best grade on tests and ruining the curve, or
even picking up many of the promotions at work, they may become an easy target for bullies.or They may be embarrassed by
their own intelligence and fear being called a nerd, so they make the accusation of someone else. Those who bully because
of a persons sexual orientation may still be trying to figure out their own and come to terms with it..
Causes of Bullying: Lack of Understanding or Empathy: In some cases a person may bully because there is an
aspect of a persons personality that they dont understand or dont agree with. They may also have a prejudice against a
persons race, religion, or sexual orientation, and in many instances they may even think that targeting a person whom they
see as exuding wrong behavior as a good thing
Causes of Bullying: Looking for Attention: Some bullies would never think of themselves as bullying. They think
that all they are doing is teasing a bit, and may even be trying to communicate or even befriend the person they are bullying.
These social issues lead them to have trouble communicating in a healthy way and instead turn to insults or even physical
violence as a way of communicating.
Causes of Bullying: Bullies come from dysfunctional families.: A dysfunctional family is not a guarantee that a child
will become a bully. However, a large number of bullies come from homes where there is little affection and openness.
Causes of Bullying: Bullies need to be in control.
Causes of Bullying: Bullying behavior gets rewarded.
Causes of Bullying: Bullies dont care how others feel.: Sometimes a perpetrator may even get pleasure from seeing
a child yelp as he kicks him down the hallway.
Causes of Bullying: Bullies cant regulate their emotions.: When people get frustrated and angry, they can usually
stop themselves from doing things that will hurt others. When kids dont have the ability to regulate their emotions, small
annoyances can provoke them and cause them to severely overreact.

Inside the Mind of a Bully

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/transforming_learning/2012/10/inside_the_mind_of_a_bully.html
Most of the focus of bullying prevention seems to focus on two groups, those who are bullied and those who witness a bullying
incident,..
A third party is always involved in bullying, and this group may be the most vital link in bullying prevention. These are the bullies
themselves. Popular media likes to portray bullies as one-dimensional, self-absorbed, mean-spirited students who prey on the less
popular, less attractive, less fill-in-the-blank of the school population.
True, students who bully do tend to fit some stereotypes. According to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, students who bully
their peers are more likely to get into frequent fights, steal and vandalize property, use alcohol and other drugs, receive poor grades,
engage in sexual activity, be abusive to romantic partners, have criminal records and carry a weapon.
But not all students who bully others are discipline problems or engage in risky behaviors. Some have highly tuned social skills and
interact well with teachers and other adults.
In one group, students are well-connected to their peers, have social power, are overly concerned about their popularity and like to
dominate or be in charge of others. In the other group, students are more isolated from their peers and may be less involved in school,
be easily pressured by peers or not identify with the emotions or feelings of others. Students who bully others aren't necessarily
stronger or bigger than those they bully. The power imbalance can come from a number of sources, such as popularity, size, intellect
or maturity level.
Bullying Presentation
We all know what is bullying
Bullying is a form of aggressive behavior in which someone intentionally and repeatedly causes another person injury or discomfort.
Bullying can take the form of physical contact, words or more subtle actions. (About 30 percent of 6th through 12th graders admit to
bullying classmates and almost 28 percent of the student population has experienced bullying in some form)
Thesis Statement: Though there are bullies who dont have a true motivation to be violent beyond enjoying power, there are others
who develop them by their thinking process and the environment in which they grow.
Students have been taught to prevent bullying, but nobody try to understand the mindset of the bullies. Then How it begins?
The infant experiences his caretakers in terms of a group, first comes to exist as part of a group, and, organizes and personifies its
experiences via by utilizing the paranoidschizoid mode of thinking. its thinking remains fluid and fragmented, the infant finds itself
in a fantasmic world of bits of me and not-me (us and not-us); good and bad; friend and foe; strong and weak. During his maturation
process, the infant gradually takes mental concepts of people and animated objects, and arrange them into categories:gangs that
nurture and protect; gangs that persecute. Beliefs about the self, world, and future are rooted in early experiences, with stable cognitive
structures beginning to solidify around age of 9. Bad objects (potential thoughts) function like bullies in the mind. By adolescence,
abstract thinking becomes more advanced, allowing youth to develop more stable concepts about themselves, the world, and the
future. In this manner, a wrong concept or thoughts in mind incite the bully to escape from the complexities of the mature mind and
mature relationships, all individuals have tendencies to gang with others who collude in the regression to bipolarity. (Motivation in
forming groups is protection from bullyingfrom ones own aggression and that of others).Bullyingbullied dynamics emerge
immediately and unmediated by thought in situations of emotional intensity, i.e., frustration, anxiety, threat, challenge, and
competition.
Who is the Bully? How to recognize it?
According to the Olweus Bullying Prevention Program, bullies have a stereotype. They are likely to get into frequent fights, steal and
vandalize property, use alcohol and other drugs, receive poor grades, engage in sexual activity, be abusive to romantic partners, have
criminal records and carry a weapon.Students who bully others aren't necessarily stronger or bigger than those they bully. The power
imbalance can come from a number of sources, such as popularity, size, intellect or maturity level.Some people even find themselves
being occasional bullies without even realizing it. But not all of them have discipline problems or engage in risky behaviors.
Types of Bullies

 Bully: Commonly high self-esteem.Egocentric. Irrational anger is usually the preferred defense used to hide their fear of not
being in control. Many bullies suffer from the I am special so the rules dont apply to me complex. They consider that they feel
they need to do to survive, in a stressful, competitive world. Others like bullying because of truly lacking all connection with the
basics of feeling anything for others. Considered sociopaths. This type of bullying usually picks up around the middle school years.
By early adolescence bullying takes a more psychological turn by spreading rumors, ostracizing, and cyberbullying. (operate from
hostile schemas about self or others (I deserve what I can take from others or Losers deserve what they get), leading to negative
beliefs about others and a sense of entitlement, supporting the tendency to morally disengage regarding bullying) students are wellconnected to their peers, have social power, are overly concerned about their popularity and like to dominate or be in charge of
others.
Bully/Victim: Commonly low self-esteem.A child who struggles to fit in or be part of the group is a good example of a bully
suffering from low self-esteem. These isolated bullies ...They are left with feelings of rejection and depression. Are typically raised
around conflicts at home or have been bullied themselves.Notwithstanding, that are raised in loving homes. (bullying perpetration
might result from activation of a threat schema (everyone is going to bully me), which can promote negative self - other beliefs (Id
better ruin her reputation before she ruins mine)In the other group, students are more isolated from their peers and may be less
involved in school, be easily pressured by peers or not identify with the emotions or feelings of others.
What are the causes of bullying?
Bullying is a product of the bullys own personal difficulties. This stems from personality problems, self-esteem issues, poor
emotional control, and learned tendencies.The bully picks a victim, based on the reactions they are able to stir up in a victim. ...She
believes if a victim responds with crying, cringing in fear, shouting angrily back, or threatening to tell the bullying will continue.
Thus, bullying behavior is not just the result of individual characteristics, but is influenced by multiple relationships with peers,
families, teachers, neighbors, and interactions with societal influences
Someone Else is Bullying Them: A person may feel bullied by their parents, their boss, or an older sibling. Getting bullied by
any of these people who are in an assumed position of authority may tempt some to claim a sort of authority for themselves through
bullying, rather than reaching out for help in dealing with their own issues in a more productive way
Lack of self-confidence
Lack of Understanding or Empathy
Looking for Attention: They think that all they are doing is teasing a bit, and may even be trying to communicate or even
befriend the person they are bullying.
Bullies need to be in control.claim a sort of power in their lives by seeking out those who seem vulnerable and attacking
some aspect of their personality that makes them stand out.
Bullying behavior gets rewarded.
Bullies cant regulate their emotions.: When people get frustrated and angry, they can usually stop themselves from doing
things that will hurt others.
Lack of success
Low or high self-esteem
Poor Modeling of Behavior: This could occur through overly permissive or distant parents. It can also include parents who
use strict discipline, usually in the form of inappropriate physical means. Lastly, it may involve an older sibling who routinely picks
on or bullies the child.Bullies often lack warm, caring, and involved parents. Parents of bullies tend to be highly competitive and
place unreasonable demands on their children to be superior to other kids. These parents often have prejudices based on race, sex,
wealth, and achievements. They teach their children to compete at all costs, and to win by whatever means.A dysfunctional family is
not a guarantee that a child will become a bully. However, a large number of bullies come from homes where there is little affection
and openness.
Immature or Lack of social skills
Poor impulse control
Watch more aggressive TV shows and play more aggressive video games
Inconsistent discipline at home
Child abuse. There is ample evidence that children who are physically abused by their parents turn around and bully other
kids. These same kids are likely to develop anxiety, depression, and drug & alcohol problems and will probably abuse their own kids
later in life.
Conduct disorders (Some studies indicate that some (not all) bullies have naturally aggressive and/or hyperactive
personalities from the start.) also Impulsivity. youth who are rewarded for bullying behaviors (e.g., through enhanced status or
popularity, access to goods) may continue bullying, develop further aggressive behaviors, and eventually meet criteria for a diagnosis
of conduct disorder
Antisocial personality traits

 Environment at home: family members involvement in gangs, poor parental supervision, negative family environment,
parental conflict, domestic violence, low parental communication, lack of parent emotional support, authoritarian parenting,
inappropriate discipline, and parental abuse
Environment in the classroom: teacher responses, poor teacher-student relationships, lack of teacher support, and lack of
engagement in school activities.
Neighborhoods: unsafe neighborhoods, gang affiliation, and poverty. Research has also linked bullying perpetration to
exposure to violent TV and video games. Many video games help kids becomes desensitized and less moral. (Grand Theft Auto)
The US Military uses the most violent video games to desensitize soldiers to killing. They find that the more comfortable they are
just seeing enemies as fun targets on a screen, the more at ease they are with killing them off the screen.
Genetic predisposition: genetic factors have been shown to account for 61% of the variation in bullying behavior.
Many teens live with a sense of failure or rejection. Beyond worrying about school failure, their bigger fear comes in the
form of worrying about being abandoned by the peer group. In 1950 youth between the ages of 12 to 18, spent 60 hours a week with
adults and only 12 alone with peers.In 2010, this age group spends 60 hours a week in contact with peers, and less than 12 with
adults. (kids typically spend 7 hours a day there 170 days a year) and countless hours a day being influenced by peers. It takes more
than 4 minutes a day to raise kids to be morally and socially conscious people. It takes more than 12 hours a week of contact and
attention from adults to influence kids (interesting fact to add information and support to our presentation)
Conclusion
If negative events are attributed to global, stable, and internal cognitive schemas, and negative beliefs about self, world, and future,
individuals are at increased risk for internalizing and externalizing problems.Each individual is both the bully and bullied, and an
aspect of mutual recognition resides in acknowledging the pleasure as well as the pain in our co-participation.A just-published
Canadian study has added that the behaviour is literally in the genes,where the notion that many people bully because it is in their
nature and cant be easily changed. Evidence indicates it is the pure bullies, however, who account for 80-90% of bullying, yet
are more socially adept, more popular and fly more under the radar. Research is starting to show that high self-esteem bullying is a lot
more prevalent than bullies with low self-esteem. It takes more than just parents teaching kids about right and wrong, for kids.
Even though parents do play a role in a childs personality, there comes a time when the child is responsible for making their own
choices.
Bullying might become a stepping stone to delinquent or antisocial behavior. The earlier you stop the violence, the better chance you
have of it stopping or at the very least decreasing. Bullies do not stop they do not have that programmed within their mind, they have
already passed the point of no return and to have them change is highly unlikely.Though there are studies that suggest that in some
cases the birth of bullying lies in genetics dispositions, bullies are commonly raised by a compound of elements between their
personal thinking and the environment where they live.
The Brain of a Bully (Interesting fact)
Researchers from the University of Chicago used brain scan technology. They were tested with functional magnetic
resonance imaging to see how their brains reacted while watching video clips. (people in pain)
the researchers compared eight 16-18 year old boys who were unusually aggressive to a control group of adolescent boys
with no unusual sign of aggression
When the aggressive youths watched people intentionally inflicting pain on another, the scan showed a response in the part of
the brain associated with reward and pleasure. showed a strong activation of the amygdala and ventral striatum, areas of the brain that
respond to feeling rewarded.
the control group of youths who werent prone to aggressive behavior showed a response in the medial prefrontal cortex and
the temporoparietal junction, areas of the brain involved in self regulation
How to Help A Child Change Bullying Behavior: (if we want to talk about how to help bullies)
1. Provide good positive modeling of positive behavior: Parents are a model in their childrens eyes every minute of every day.
The child will need good adult role models and mentors.
2. Seek Counselling: Schools are able to access such services and have many programs to offer.
3. Active Supervision at Home and School
4. Clear, consistent expectations with significant consequences and accountability: No act of aggression or bullying should go

unchallenged.
5. Focus upon the Strengths of the Child: The child needs to be built up. Self-esteem build.
6. Watch the Peer Group: Take an interest in the peer group of the child. If you find similar behavior being exhibited in the friends,
challenge it by calling the school principal.
7. Become an Anti-bullying Advocate: Advocate for anti-bullying policies and have your child join the stop the bullying team.
8. Do not Shelter the Child: If the child victimizes someone they need to face the music or it will become a never ending cycle of
behavior