Why Do People Bully?

Self-Esteem Issues?

Who knows? I was bullied for a long time as a youth, until I moved to a larger school. Maybe it was group-think, maybe it was transference from an abusive family. I don't know. It scarred me, to the point that I thought any sort of criticism was an attack against me. It wasn't until I took my first creative writing class that I learned the difference. Criticism is meant to improve; bullying is meant to degrade.

As long as human beings are able to notice differences between them and others, bullying will occur.

We bully because we care.

There's a difference between bullying and pointing out when someone had posted asinine gibberish.
As for real, true bullying... people seek power and a feeling that they're winning. People often get more social recognition for negative behaviors and thus feel the need to bully. Socially ostracized people often seek the approval of their peers by in turn bullying others and continuing the cycle.

I was bullied. I was chased home by kids carrying a dead rat. I was held down, hit and had the dead rat stuffed in my shirt. I had rocks thrown at me as I walked home from school many many times. I was hit. I was called names, laughed at and humiliated. In the end, it made me stronger. Strong enough to not get my panties in a bunch when someone makes a joke at my expense on the Internet.

Because they're arrogant.

Because only the arrogant complain about it.
The meek go to a corner and cry as they are too embarrassed to complain.
This is only a hypothesis.

As much as I hate to admit it I believe bullying is one of our base human natures. In a wolf pack ,one wolf is designated as the omega wolf and the pack bullies and picks on the omega. It's a form of relieving tension in the group. The beta is angry at the alpha so it bullies the omega. Later the omega can actually become the alpha but the role is transferred in the group. The omega isn't necessarily the smallest or weakest either it's just a role that it accepts. A wolf that doesn't stand up for itself.

I know a lot of bullies. Because, I am a teacher. But, wääääh, my english is not good (as you see....). So I can't explain, what I see all day. Maybe Temper can help and translate for me?

Danke, Temper!

Unsere Schule schließt bald, wir haben jetzt noch etwa 85 Schüler bzw. Schülerinnen. Viele davon, weil es eine Förderschule ist, haben den Förderschwerpunkt emotionale und soziale Entwicklung. Früher nannte man sie "Erziehungsschwierig".

Von den 85 SchülerInnen würde ich etwa 7 als wirkliche Bullies bezeichnen. Das Geschlecht scheint völlig gleichgültig, es sind sowohl Jungen, als auch Mädchen.

Aber alle haben eines gemeinsam: Ein sehr geringes Selbstbewusstsein. Aus unterschiedlichen Gründen: Der eine wird in seiner Familie klein gemacht, die andere fühlt sich zu dick usw.

Auf dem Pausenhof führen sie sich dann oft als Bullies auf, was sie leider wachsen lässt. Wie hier schon angesprochen, haben sie plötzlich Macht. Aber es kommt noch was hinzu: Ihr Verhalten erfährt eine positive Reaktion der MitschülerInnen, sie werden zum Teil sogar bewundert. Und leider muss ich auch sagen, dass es LehrerInnen gibt, die das nicht vollständig durchschauen und nicht dafür sorgen, dass dieser Teufelskreis durchbrochen wird und so der oder die Bully weiterhin positive Verstärkung erfährt.

Temper, YOU are the best!

Ethology. Humans are animals and I believe the information is also relevent to us.

I think OutlawPete is pretty spot-on. We think of bullies as people at the top of the pecking order, who use their position to keep others down. I think a lot of bullies see themselves as being at the bottom of the pecking order, and use bullying as a way to try to climb out of the pit (by putting someone else under them).

So you're not an alpha female with a dominant personality?