Apr 8, 2014 by speakeasy | Bullying
As a child growing up in the ’80s, I rarely heard the term “bullying”. It’s not that bullying didn’t take place when I was a child, it simply wasn’t addressed in the way that it is now. Today, I can’t think of a week that goes by that I don’t hear the word. It’s talked about on the radio, in the news, on talk shows, and in schools.
Recent research shows the damaging effects that bullying can have on its victims. In today’s society, childhood bullying can happen in person and online, from the hallways of schools to various social media platforms. Bullying is more than people being mean because they’re cranky, in a bad mood or having a bad day. Bullying is different because it’s psychological power play.
A few months back, I was listening to a Here and Now program called “Does Bullying Serve a Purpose”. During the show, Elizabeth Englander discusses the psychology behind bullying. Englander, a psychology professor, mentions that “bullying is a way to gain social capital.” Dispite the fact that we can increase our social status by being nice to people, the results from that route are slower than the results that bullying would yield. To a bully, the latter route is easier.
The host of this Here and Now program, Jeremey Hobson, asks Englander if there is a difference between childhood bullying and adulthood bullying. To that question she says yes, there are differences and the biggest difference is that children are defenseless. Children don’t have the resources or power that an adult might have in a bullying situation.
Almost halfway through the program, Englander brings up her research that found that there two types of kids who engage in bullying. She discusses the difference between bullies who are victims and bullies who are not victims. Englander also points out that during online communications, senders don’t see how other people react to their posts. Senders only think about themselves in those situations and not about how it will impact the person they’re referring to in their post. Englander says the sender only cares whether they look clever or funny after posting.
When it comes to bullying, Englander believes that the blame game doesn’t work. Some kids are more inclined to bully than others. She feels it is important to teach kids how to use technology and live life so as not to feed this monster called bullying.
During his interview, Hobson asks Englander the question “Can we evolve out of the need to bully?” What are your thoughts on that question? Also, are you happy with the way bullying is being handled in our society? Do you feel we are more sensitive to bullying than previous generations? Do you fear the term is being overused? How can we help our younger generation be sensitive to the feelings of others – whether it’s in-person or in cyber-space?
