Harsh parenting practices and greater rates of domestic violence increase the risk of being victims or bully/victims, but are also more often found in low socioeconomic households.
Standing out from the rest of the peer group such as being unable to afford lifestyle items may single out children for victimisation.Īlternatively, characteristics which differ by socioeconomic level, such as parenting strategies, may explain this association. In contrast, low socioeconomic status does somewhat increase the risk of being victimised at school. It has actually been shown that being a bully may be protective for health: bullies were found to have less “chronic inflammation” – caused when the body tries to fight an infectious agent – and therefore might be at a decreased risk for developing cardiovascular or metabolic illness. The benefits to bullies have recently been shown in a range of longitudinal studies, which found bullying others had few psychological, health or economic downsides in early adulthood. These may range from classical bullying (verbal, physical, black mailing or social exclusion) to more “pro-social strategies” such as publicly offering favours that make the victim feel uncomfortable and cannot be repaid. The more unequal a social setting, the more likely it is that using any means of getting ahead is endorsed.Ĭontrary to views held by some teachers, parents and even psychiatrists that bullies are poorly adjusted, there is also increasing evidence that bullies excel at reading other people’s emotions, and are often skilled manipulators who use a variety of social strategies. Greater financial inequality in nations, as well as more hierarchical classroom and household structures all increase the risk of children bullying others. Unlike other forms of child aggression, such as conduct disorder or delinquency, which can result from psychiatric problems within the child, bullying appears to be a social strategy, which is used to gain access to resources and achieve greater social status.Įmerging evidence shows that bullies are more prevalent in social settings characterised by hierarchical social structures, and more financial or social inequality. These findings for bullies support an evolutionary interpretation of bullying situations. Overall, it seems that socioeconomic status is not the most accurate indicator for identifying those involved in school bullying. In contrast, those who become victims, particularly victims who retaliate unsuccessfully (bully/victims), are more likely to be raised in less well-off families. The results suggest that bullies exist across all socioeconomic groups: they are as likely to be found in deprived inner city areas as they are in leafy, suburban schools in well-to-do neighbourhoods. Fewer victims came from richer households. In contrast, victims and bully/victims were more likely to live in poorer families. We found a weak association between socioeconomic status and being a bully: bullies were only slightly more likely to come from middle or lower-socioeconomic backgrounds. Our research synthesised findings from 28 studies published since 1970 covering 342,611 children and adolescents in North America, Europe and Australia. To explore this, we investigated whether being a victim, bully, or bully/victim (someone who is victim but also fights back) was associated with socioeconomic status.
If bullies are motivated by the desire to obtain greater status and dominance, and use strategic behaviour as a means of gaining social success and romantic partners, then it is likely they will be found in similar numbers among all socioeconomic groups. While children diagnosed with conduct disorder or delinquency are more often found in socially disadvantaged groups, such as among families with low socioeconomic status, it is less clear whether bullies are also more likely to come from these backgrounds. Bullying can also reduce stress upon bullies: by enabling them to develop a culture of fear and respect it deters others from attacking them and means they have to spend less of their time fighting. Some researchers consider bullying to be an evolutionary adaptation, designed to gain access to resources, secure survival, and allow for more mating opportunities. In hierarchical social settings, anybody can be at risk of bullying. But new research has shown that in the modern age, we can draw few strong conclusions about whether bullies are more likely to come from richer or poorer families. Examples of bullying have been found in all societies, including among modern hunter-gatherers and in ancient civilisations. Bullying is the repeated and systematic abuse of power with the aim of causing intentional harm.
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