Study on Bullying Indicates Bullies are 'Popular';
Victims Suffer, are at Risk for Suicide
by Kevin Caruso
Researchers from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) studied about 2,000 young teens, and report that about one in four youths have been involved in bullying in some way.
The researchers categorized these children in three groups:
bullies, victims, and bully-victims. The "bully-victims" were the victims that received the worst and most incessant abuse from the bullies.
"Bullies are strong psychologically and get a great deal of peer support," says Jaana Juvonen, a co-auther of the study. "[Victims] suffer from symptoms of psychological distress that are not necessarily observable. Victims have feelings of depression and social anxiety and loneliness, quiet signs of distress."
The third group, bully-victims, was the worst off, Juvonen said. "Bully-victims were the most troubled in terms of being extremely socially ostracized by peers and also showing the most school problems, as well as some signs of social distress."
The study indicates that bullies have the lowest levels of depression, social anxiety, and loneliness.
They also had a high "social standing." But even though they appear to be "popular" with their fellow students,
this "popularity" is actually probably a manifestation of fear in which children feel that they have no choice
but to treat the bullies respectfully.
Victims were depressed, lonely, anxious, and socially isolated.
Bully-victims had the highest levels of depression, loneliness, anxiety, and social isolation.
Both victims and bully-victims are at a risk for suicide.
Many children who have been bullied have died by suicide.
Bullying almost always causes depression. And depression is the number one cause for suicide.
One of the problems with bullying is that children who are not being bullied are scared of the bully because they may get hurt by him. So if it comes down to standing up for a victim or taking the side of the bully, many children will feel that they need to take the side of the bully or they will be his next victim.
So bullies are not "popular." They are cowards. Their "popularity" is not real. Children are afraid of them.
Children dislike them and have no real respect for them.
Bullies are actually very weak people with low self-esteem who need to try to harm others to give themselves some type of feeling of power and control.
And remember that bullies are always cowards.
And bullies are criminals.
So what can be done?
All schools need to have a zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy in place.
For more information please click below.
Important article on Bullying and Suicide
by Kevin Caruso
School administrators, teachers, students, and parents all need to take
a strong zero-tolerance stand against bullying.
And, again, that stand begins with a zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy in all schools.
Take action now to make sure that your school has a zero-tolerance anti-bullying policy.
If you or someone you know is suicidal, please go to the Home Page of this website for immediate help.
Thank you.
I love you.
Take care,
Kevin Caruso
