Why Do People Bully?

Insecurity

A fairly popularly known reason why people of all ages bully is because they are insecure. They constantly worry about what other people think of them, and they do not want to appear weak or insufficient to their peers. In their minds, taking charge of any and all situations and mocking others will in still fear and insecurity in their victims. If they are able to make other individuals feel insecure, then they can forget about their own personal voids and take pleasure in the fact that someone else is weaker than they are.

Selfishness

Many people are selfish whether it be about money, making social plans, or sharing toys. At the most basic level, imagine a child in a preschool class playing with his or her favourite toy. Another child approaches and wants to play with the item. Instead of sharing, the first child may shout "No!" or "Get away!" or "I don't like you!" These are all forms of bullying because the child is not sharing, and is being hostile towards the other individual.

Adults are certainly not beyond this level of immaturity. Take two teenage girls, for instance. One of them is bossy and overbearing, and the other is shy and meek. The latter can easily be bullied into doing whatever the "friend" wants because the former knows that her shy friend will never stand up for herself. Even if the bossy one does not call her names or make fun of her, she is still mentally manipulating and bullying the individual.

Sense of Superiority

On the opposite end of those with insecurities are the bullies who taunt others because they feel entitled to do so. This group can certainly include anyone who is overconfident; however, some familiar examples may help to further develop the argument. Everyone is familiar with the high school cheerleader and football star who rule the school and mock anyone who is not "cool" enough to be their friend. Of course, this is a stereotypical image in and of itself that derives largely from media portrayals, but it helps to put the problem in context.

Another image, also particularly prominent in movies and other media, that people are familiar with is the boss of a major company who pushes his employees around, treats them as slaves, and takes away their holiday pay. A fitting example is the boss in the famous National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

The Ease of Bullying

Bullying today is so much easier than in the past because individuals have so many more outlets in which to express themselves. In the past, people could often seek refuge from bullies at home, at a coffee shop, or in their favourite hiding place. However, nowadays, cruel text messages, emails, and phone calls taunt bullied individuals all day long. People can even block their numbers so that the victims do not know who is tormenting them. Social networks such as Facebook and MySpace allow bullying to become public and constant as well.

By: Nursazella