Tackling the bully
There seems to be a growing body of literature on
bullying. Most bullying goes on in schools, but it is by no means restricted
to our educational establishments. It happens in commercial organisations
and in offices of all kinds.
Individuals do not readily admit to being bullied
by those set over them or those in a parallel situation, since to do so
introduces the unwelcome idea of personal inferiority. Moreover, if you
grow conscious of suffering as a victim of a bully, what do you do about
it? Telling anyone else is more likely than not to intensify the victimisation,
and in schools, in particular, it creates tensions which do not assist
the precious pursuit of education. To become known as a teller of tales
about one's peers is a sure path to trouble.
Some psychologists believe that an aggressive streak
tends to make a child disliked and even feared. But some children manage
to exercise a moderately aggressive character without attracting any strong
disapproval from their contacts, and are labelled "controversial". Indeed,
they may show the quality of leadership among their peers and achieve
a social status that they find satisfying to their ego. Nevertheless,
a high degree of aggressiveness without the social skill to turn it to
advantage is bound to render a child unpopular. Aggression may take the
form of physical assault or taunting with words or gestures.
Circumstances within the home are important in deciding
subsequent antisocial patterns of behaviour and how much aggression a
child suffers or inflicts. Academic weakness may intensify these. Bullying
in schools is the source of much distress for its victims and may be organised
by a single child or by a group or gang. It tends to be concentrated on
individuals who are exceptionally susceptible and who are unable from
physical weakness or a strong feeling of inferiority to retaliate.
It has been found that primary school bullies are
as a rule healthier and mentally more vigorous than their victims. In
a recent study of more than 1,600 children aged six to nine, those who
bullied others but were not themselves victimised were least likely to
suffer problems of physical or mental health. It is alarming to note that
some 40 per cent of children questioned claimed to have been repeatedly
bullied at school. These victims suffered more minor health problems such
as colds, coughs, nausea and aches and pains than others. The dominance
of the bullies, it is suggested, probably depends upon a constitution
that gives them an advantage over potential victims. Curiously enough,
bullies often seem not to appreciate what effect they have upon other
children.
A paper by paediatricians from Australia, published
in the British Medical Journal for 1 September, states that bullying
occurs in all schools, but its relevance to health and wellbeing is uncertain.
There is a stronger association with depression than with anxiety, loneliness
or self-esteem in general. In a study group of some 3,000 students, about
one half admitted to having been victims of bullies, and these reported
symptoms of depression or anxiety. The effect was clearer in girls than
in boys, and it is desirable to take measures to protect them, to reduce
later emotional problems.
Similar findings have been reported from the United
States, where it has been recommended that children be taught to report
bullying to teachers and parents, so that the proper authorities can be
informed. However desirable this may be in theory, there are serious practical
difficulties. Parents are regarded askance if they tell a school that
their child is being bullied, and if the story leaks out there may be
repercussions on the child from fellow students, who belong to a culture
where "telling tales" is regarded as a cardinal sin. Parents and teachers
alike face a dilemma, and no solution to the problem is in sight.
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