Where Knowledge Rules

Education:

Secondary School

Get a Widget for this title

Bullying behavior: The role of the target

Despite numerous attempts to intervene by scholastic administration and teachers, bullying occurs within every school regardless of culture or location. Approximately 10% of children are bullied in primary school, and the number of targets decreasing with age (Rigby & Slee, 1991). Defined as deliberate hostile activity intended to harm, induce fear and create terror through threat of further aggression, bullying creates a significant problem for their victims (Colorosso, 2005). Often the word "bully" is associated with an oafish demeanor or a lumbering boy (or girl) who lacks social skills. This association is not totally accurate; the bully possesses social skills that he uses to his advantage to manipulate others and is often rather popular (if for no other reason than to avoid being the next target) (Elliot, 2002). Through aggression, manipulation, and other forms of bullying, he uses his target to solidify his own place of dominance. Because others are present during 85% of bullying (Sutton et al., 1999), the target becomes a tool for vicarious learning for the on looking bystanders. He exists merely to reinforce the social infrastructure and be the bottom of the "pecking order" created by the bully's dominance. The aggression bullies use exists in different forms and yet serves the same purpose: to secure the bully's place at the top of the pecking order.

When a child is beaten and has his lunch money stolen, the bully utilizes direct physical aggression (Craig et al., 2000). This serves to display the bully's physical strength against those who are weaker and to teach others the consequences if they cross him. He chose this target exclusively because he is stronger and perhaps older or bigger; he knows that if the target attempted to fight back he would win. Counterattacking is a technique that is rarely used by targets, but it provides an easy victory for the bully (if he chose correctly) and a "good show" for the bystanders (Salmiralli, 1996). This show of physical power is necessary to establish the bully's place among other students as tough and ruthless. A physically aggressive bully sees little problem with using violence to ascertain his position among his peers, and even regards physical aggression as a positive quality (Elliot, 2002). Although more common among boys than girls, physical aggression has seen an increasing trend in female circles (Elliot, 2002). Generally, girls tend to use relational aggression to keep exclusive social cliques


Below are the top articles rated and ranked by Helium members on:

Bullying behavior: The role of the target

  • 1 of 25

    by Randa Morris

    Learned Helplessness- Assessing Environmental Factors of Children Who Become Victims/Targets of School and Peer Bullying

    read more

  • 2 of 25

    by Ann Hinds

    Our child is the target. Normally, he is not timid and has no problem brushing off incidents. Somehow, he has attached a

    read more

  • 3 of 25

    by Janet Matthews


    I write as someone who has felt intimidated and bullied on various occasions in my life. I write as someone who has been

    read more

  • 4 of 25

    by Carmi Turchick

    Bullying is perhaps the most poorly understood behavior problem in our schools. Both the motives of the bully and the role

    read more

  • 5 of 25

    by Eric Goudie

    I've just browsed through a few of the top articles on this topic, and I think if I read any more of them I will go mad.

    I

    read more

View All Articles on:
Bullying behavior: The role of the target

Add your voice

Know something about Bullying behavior: The role of the target ?
We want to hear your view. Write_penWrite now!

Helium Debate

Cast your vote!

Are teachers making students vulnerable to bullies?

Click for your side.

102314

Featured Partner

Appleseed

Appleseed, a nonprofit network of 16 public interest justice centers in the United States and Mexico, uncovers and co...more

What is Helium? | Buy Web Content | Contact Us | Privacy | User agreement | DMCA | User Tools | Help | Community | Helium’s Official Blog | Link to Helium

Helium, Inc.
200 Brickstone Square Andover, MA 01810 USA