Common Reasons Why Kids Bully Others

Bullying is a common occurrence among children, but why? Understanding bullying behavior is critical to helping both bullies and their victims. Adults, on the other hand, must abandon their ingrained biases to achieve this. In this article, we’ll talk about some of the common reasons why kids bully others.

Anger management and impulse control disorders, as well as the need to be accepted by others, are among the possible causes of bullying. A better understanding of why bullies do what they do can help shape the way they are dealt with.

Power

Bullying is more likely to occur among teenagers who strive to exert authority or influence over others. It may be because they lack personal authority, which makes it more enticing to gain it from others.

As a result, some young people may prefer to engage with others just when it is convenient for them. They may turn to bullying if things don’t go their way. Adolescents that engage in relational aggression may be attempting to gain control over others.

Athletes and students who are physically stronger than others are more likely to engage in bullying behavior. The goal of team bullying is to minimize rivalry among the athletes.

Popularity

A sign of one’s social standing may be the cause of some of the bullying one encounters. Relational aggressiveness is sometimes perpetuated by popular youngsters who make fun of those who are less popular. As a result of being popular, youngsters may spread rumors and gossip, engage in slut-shaming, and exclude others.

Students seeking to climb the social ladder at school may turn to bullying to grab their attention or gain some social influence. They may also use intimidation to lower the social standing of others.

Revenge

Some teenagers who have been bullied turn to revenge or retaliation as a means of coping. As “bully-victims,” these youngsters are typically seen as justifiable in their conduct because they have been bullied and tormented.

As a result of bullying, people may feel a sense of vindication and relaxation. Occasionally, these kids attack someone who is more vulnerable or less capable than they are. They may even go after the individual who bullied them in some cases.

Your Own Household Has Issues

Teens who grow up in violent households are more likely to become bullies themselves. Bullying can be a problem for children whose parents are too lenient or absent.

Because of this, they feel more in charge and in control of their lives, which is something they lack on their own. In addition, children who suffer from poor self-esteem may resort to bullying as a coping mechanism.

Pleasure

Bullying is often used as a kind of entertainment by children who are bored and looking for something to do. It’s also possible that kids bully because their parents don’t pay enough attention to them or supervise them. It is for this reason that bullying is used to gain attention.

Meanwhile, kids who lack empathy are more likely to enjoy inflicting pain on others. Bullying others gives them a powerful sense of self-worth, and they may even find nasty “jokes” amusing.

Prejudices

Bullies often target peers who are different in some way in high school. Children with unique requirements or food allergies, for example, may be singled out for predation. A child may be singled out for his or her gender identification or sexual orientation. Bullying is frequently motivated by some form of bias.

Peer Influence

To join in with a clique, some students resort to bullying others, even if it means going against their own best interests. This group of children is often more concerned with being accepted than with the dangers of bullying.

Other times, children bully in order to fit in with the rest of their peers. Bullying in groups might be motivated by a lack of social acceptance or fear of becoming the target.

How to Intervene

For children who are bullied, seek support. If it’s in school, get them in touch with their principal and/or a counselor. Communicate with loved ones. Emphasize that they are not to blame. Make a plan to protect them.

To stop a child’s bullying others, you must intervene and deal with any underlying issues that may be at play. Don’t forget to help your child accept personal responsibility for their actions, and help them think about what sparked their aggression.

Meaningful articles you might like: Advice From a Father on How To Handle Bullying From His Son, Your Child’s Bullying: What to Do When It Happens, Teaching Children to Avoid Bullying