Why Do Kids Bully at School?

Focus Adolescent Services defines bullying as "an abusive behavior by one or more students against a victim or victims." Bullying at school usually involves intimidating acts such as stalking, teasing, taunting, threatening, gossiping and even hitting. Although kids bully for a variety of reasons, inflicting physical, emotional or psychological pain on another student can carry serious consequences.

  1. Attention-Seeking

    • Kids often bully because they are looking for attention from their peers, teachers or even parents. In some cases, a bully may think that she will gain popularity by intimidating or humiliating others. Kids who do not get the attention they seek at home will sometimes seek that attention at school, whether it be negative or positive.

    Low Self-Esteem

    • Kids who have a poor sense of self-worth or low self-esteem may bully others in order to feel big and powerful. By making other students feel bad about themselves, the bully experiences a false sense of happiness and fulfillment. In other words, a bully may degrade other kids, so he can feel better about himself, if only temporarily.

    Products of Their Environment

    • Some bullies may simply be copying what they see at home. Kids who bully at school have oftentimes witnessed or been victims of intimidating behavior at home. Kids that live in the midst of name-calling, yelling, fighting or abuse on a daily basis may not be aware that this behavior is abnormal and unacceptable.

    No Reason At All

    • In some cases, a bully may not fully understand other people's feelings; however, some kids bully at school simply because they have no regard for the feelings of others. Some bullies are fully aware that their actions harmful to others, but they continue to bully anyway.

    Considerations

    • In order to rule out any biological factors that may be contributing to the child's behavior, a pediatrician should examine a child that repeatedly displays threatening or intimidating behavior towards others. If biological factors are ruled out, the bullying child may benefit from the guidance of a counselor or mental health professional who can help identify the underlying causes of the behavior.

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