The Effects of Bullying: A Bully’s Perspective
Image of a person who is depressed
By Alejandra Ramos
As we mentioned previously, there are many negative effects when a student is being bullied but no one seems to talk about the student showing bullying behavior. Students are at the stage where they start to understand what the actions of a bully does but are not aware of the damage it causes nor do they know what to do when they are in need of help. Most interventions tend to focus on the victims of bullying but they don’t focus on the bullies themselves. An intervention that approaches both sides of a bullying incident can be more effective.
A student doesn’t just act aggressive for no reason, there had to have been some events that they’ve experienced that might have caused this behavior. Allowing them to tell their side of the story and explaining the purpose of their actions is beneficial since it gives an insight of what might be the cause of their actions and behavior. It also doesn’t have the approach of blaming the student or pointing fingers at them therefore they won’t feel like everyone is against them. Whenever there is a bullying incident, most schools are quick to give consequences rather than figuring out the cause or helping them with what needs should be taken care of. A student who shows bullying behavior will not grow if the school does not attend to their personal needs if they are not given the chance to speak out. Providing the empathy that the student needs by allowing them to be heard and giving the counselor the chance to figure out what kind of support they need since it enlightens them on what kinds of relationships the student has with other people including friends and family. It’s been proven that being raised in a home where family members fight or lack of parental guidance are common in children showing bullying behavior (Ahmed, 2022). Students tend to imitate the behavior that they see from their home environment. When a student doesn’t have that guidance that they need then it’s most likely that they show negative behavior.
Most students who portray bullying behavior are most likely feeling like they are not being cared for or being misjudged therefore teachers should pay more attention to them by talking with them and letting them vent on what is happening in their personal life. This framework is all about emotional expression and showing empathy towards them so they feel that they’re being cared for. It also addresses what factors are impacting their mental health that has led them to the way they behave. The student will have more of a feeling of someone wanting to help them rather than feeling like they are the problem. It’s never a good feeling when you feel like you are the root of all problems. These needs are valuable for a human being because they are the base of thinking and behaving. It also revolves around how a person may feel about themselves such as self-esteem. There has been a study where there is a relationship between self-esteem and bullying behavior and students who have low self-esteem are more likely to bully perpetration because they have feelings of insignificance and are in emotional distress (Tsaousis, 2016). A student who feels this way should know that there is at least one person who wants what's best for them and will have the support to achieve that. Teachers and faculty members need to empower their students in reaching their full potential and give them support for their personal growth.
Schools should be able to explain to their students that they have the power to control their choices therefore they should be careful of the choices that they make since it has an effect. Every human being makes their choices based on their emotions and information that they hold. Young students are at the age where they are figuring out what kind of impact they can have on someone else. We have to raise awareness of the consequences of bullying by needing to go more in-depth about the harms of bullying to decrease bullying incidents and behavior. All students need to be more informed about this because they may know what bullying is but don’t know the damage that comes along with it. This will also give the student who shows bullying behavior the opportunity to develop goals that they can attain in their process of personal growth and the counselor will also be able to help identify the next steps to take for the student to self-evaluate themselves on how they make choices. The student will then realize that the choices they make have an influence in their life which they will be more aware of in the future.
The issue of bullying should be solved by helping both the victim and bully. Schools tend to help out the students who are the victims but not help the students who showed bullying behavior. Solving and decreasing bullying has to address both sides and not focus on one side. All students need the attention and support to succeed in life so they can make a positive impact in their lives.
References
Ahmed, G.K., Metwaly, N.A., Elbeh, K. et al. Risk factors of school bullying and its relationship with psychiatric comorbidities: a literature review. Egypt J Neurol Psychiatry Neurosurg 58, 16 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s41983-022-00449-x
Tsaousis, I. (2016). The relationship of self-esteem to bullying perpetration and peer victimization among schoolchildren and adolescents: a meta-analytic review, Aggression and Violent Behavior, Volume 31, 186-199. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avb.2016.09.005