Who Are the Students Who Bully Others?

It is a myth that students who use bullying behavior lack social skills and self-esteem (Olweus, 1991, 1993). They actually tend to be outgoing and self-confident and feel little anxiety or insecurity. Some researchers (Sutton, Smith, and Sweetenham, 1999) have suggested that they have a superior theory of mind or social cognition—that is, an advanced ability to understand and manipulate the minds of others. This is especially important in indirect bullying, where the student who's doing the bullying must know which of her peers will join in her efforts to exclude another child and what sort of justification the group will find acceptable. Even direct bullying takes sharp social insight: The student who's bullying must avoid detection and choose a method that leaves her unscathed while hurting the target.

Although children who are adept at bullying understand others' emotions, they don't seem able to share them. In other words, they have little empathy and don't worry about the pain or discomfort they cause (Olweus, 1993). On the contrary, they may even enjoy it (Rigby, 2001b).

But this description doesn't fit all students who victimize others (Craig and Pepler, 2003; Sutton et al., 1999). Some may lack social skills and impulse control and have more anxiety and insecurity, particularly "bully-victims" and the followers who assist the leader of the bullying (Olweus, 1993).

As they grow older, children who bully are at risk for a whole host of problems (Olweus, 1991; Pepler and Craig, 2000):

• Aggressive behavior
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Delinquency, gang involvement, and vandalism
• Sexual harassment and dating aggression
• Academic problems and school dropout
• Peer rejection

Students who bully might also suffer from mental health problems such as conduct disorder, depression, and anxiety (Olweus, 1991; Pepler and Craig, 2000). Olweus (1993) found that by the age of 24 about 60 percent of the boys who had bullied others in grades 6 to 9 had been convicted of a criminal offense, and 35 to 40 percent had three or more convictions. Students who use relational bullying also face risks: They struggle with behavior problems and self-esteem and are likely to be lonely, depressed, and rejected (Crick, Casas, and Mosher, 1997; Wolke, Woods, Bloomfield, and Karstadt, 2000).