Why do children bully?

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Why do children bully? | Kids in the House
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Why do children bully?

Bullying occurs for lots of different reasons, but we have to remember that kids are involved in a social context. Kids form unique groups of friends, and when they do, it also creates what we call a "social ladder." On that social ladder, kids divide themselves into three groups. There's the popular group, there's that middle group with most kids, and then there's that bottom group. All kids want to do everything they can to get themselves into the middle or top group because the bottom group is most vulnerable to bullying. Kids test out aggressiveness when kids try to move between groups to make sure there is always someone below them. That's what bullying is really about. We have to really be aware of social groups that start out at early ages. We have to teach kids that being on top is not what really matters, but that's why bullying occurs.



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Joel Haber, PhD

Psychologist, Bullying & Parenting Expert, Author


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