How Jealousy Can Lead To Bullying

Comparing oneself to others is a common temptation for children. Instead of joining in the celebration of others’ accomplishments, they focus on their own flaws. As a result of this, jealousy and resentment can easily arise. In this article, you will learn more how feelings of jealousy can lead kids to resort to bullying their peers.

When people desire something that someone else has, they are envious. To put it another way, the one who is envious believes that the other person is deserving of what she wants. Envy arises in children when one of their peers is deemed more popular or well-liked. They may also be jealous if another student is elected class president or recognized for their academic achievements. Even children can be envious of their peers’ clothes, gadgets, and relationships.

The envious individual wants what another person possesses, for whatever reason. As a result, bullying might have its roots in feelings of jealousy. Relational hostility and mean girl conduct are two examples of this. Envy can lead to bullying behavior for the following three reasons.

The Jealous Bully Compares Herself To Another Individual.

When it comes to utilizing social media, most kids have issues with comparisons and feeling like they’re not good enough. According to numerous research, using social media can lead to an increase in envy. The fact that most people only share their “highlight reel” on social media accounts partly explains why this is the case. On social networking networks like Facebook, there is a significant lack of talk about the boring and dull elements of their lives.

Because of this, it is natural for other kids to assume that these posts represent the entirety of their lives, and when compared to the mundane and dull aspects of their lives, they grow envy. Bullying can occur if sentiments of envy and jealousy are allowed to fester.

To put it plainly, this is a no-brainer. When someone is envious of you, they desire to take something away from you in order to make you feel better. They also utilize bullying to their advantage. It can range from threatening behavior to name-calling, creating false rumors, or cyberbullying. Envy becomes a tool of control in these situations. Depriving someone else of what they have is a primary objective of this type of bullying.

Having Low Self-Esteem Is A Common Trait Among Bullies.

Envy can show up when a person is struggling with feelings of inadequacy, emptiness, or worthlessness. Most of the time, youngsters only try to get closer to what other people already have. They bully in order to make themselves feel better about themselves by harming someone else.

Bullying, on the other hand, cannot satisfy a person’s craving for envy. As a result of their actions, bullies never feel good about themselves. It may seem as if they want to see the person they are envious of suffering, yet it does nothing to improve their self-esteem. Ultimately, the bully has the same self-esteem problems that must be dealt with.

Competitors And Perfectionists Make Up The Bully.

Competitivity is another factor that might elicit feelings of envy. Athletes aren’t the only ones that suffer from bullying because it typically begins here. Children can be competitive in all aspects of their lives, including relationships, grades, and status.

Kids who are overly competitive and strive for perfection tend to be envious of their peers who appear to have some sort of edge or influence. They are unable to accept the achievement of others since it makes them feel inadequate or less than ideal. They resort to bullying as a result.

Their bullying behavior is meant to eliminate the competition or obtain the position or prestige that their target possesses. They believe that by bringing down the achievements of others, they would feel better about themselves. But that’s never how things turn out.

A quick intervention is necessary if you notice your child’s feelings of envy. Help her figure out why she’s envious of you. Create a plan for helping her move through her emotions. For example, you can use her envy as a source of inspiration to strive even harder toward achieving your goals.

Instead of focusing on what she doesn’t have, show her how to get what she wants healthily. Encourage her to work on her self-confidence as well. Show her that she is not defined by the achievements of others.