What makes a bully?:

The latest research on bullying however, sheds new light on why people become bullies and the results may surprise you.

Apparently, most bullies act as they do because they have high popularity status amongst their peers. The more popular they are, the more likely they are to demonstrate bullying behaviour.

The study that gleaned these results involved public-school students in California. They were asked to create friendship maps showing who they were unkind to and who they picked on. Those who were high up in peer status tended to exhibit the most aggressive behavior of all.

Until further studies are made, it is not clear whether it would be accurate to relate findings to adult bullies. However, it is safe to say that it may be possible that grown-ups who bully family members and colleagues do so just because they can.

The knowledge that their behaviour may not be a result of their own suffering at the hand of unkind caregivers, and could be the result of pure selfishness, will not make the life of their victims any easier.

If all bullies turn out to be badly behaved simply because they enjoy acting aggressively, it’s probable that they will be treated more harshly in the future.

Rehabilitation will not be aimed at helping them overcome a traumatic childhood anymore; it will involve teaching bullies how to be more socially responsible and kind.

At the moment not enough research has been carried out for such conclusions to be written in stone, and it may be that while some bullies are egomaniacs, others truly behave badly because they know no better, or have been treated badly themselves.

Reference:

TimeHealthland.com