abuse of power with the aim of causing
intentional harm. Examples of bullying
have been found in all societies,
including among modern hunter-
gatherers and in ancient civilisations.
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. In hierarchical social
settings, anybody can be at risk of
bullying.
Some researchers consider bullying to
be an evolutionary adaptation,
designed to gain access to resources,
secure survival, and allow for more
mating opportunities. 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.
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.
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.
Richer or Poorer?
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. Our research
synthesised findings from 28 studies
published since 1970 covering 342,611
children and adolescents in North
America, Europe and Australia.
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. In
contrast, victims and bully/victims
were more likely to live in poorer
families. Fewer victims came from
richer households.
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. In contrast, those
who become victims, particularly
victims who retaliate unsuccessfully
(bully/victims), are more likely to be
raised in less well-off families. Overall,
it seems that socioeconomic status is
not the most accurate indicator for
identifying those involved in school
bullying.
A Social Strategy
These findings for bullies support an
evolutionary interpretation of bullying
situations. 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.
Emerging evidence shows that bullies
are more prevalent in social settings
characterised by hierarchical social
structures, and more financial or social
inequality. Greater financial inequality
in nations, as well as more hierarchical
classroom and household structures all
increase the risk of children bullying
others. The more unequal a social
setting, the more likely it is that using
any means of getting ahead is
endorsed.
Contrary 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. 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 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. 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.
Reasons for Being Picked On
In contrast, low socioeconomic status
does somewhat increase the risk of
being victimised at school. Standing
out from the rest of the peer group such
as being unable to afford lifestyle items
may single out children for
victimisation.
Alternatively, characteristics which
differ by socioeconomic level, such as
parenting strategies, may explain this
association. 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. Overprotective, or so-
called "helicopter parenting", in
particular, increases the risk of
becoming a victim of bullying.
Overall, bullies are found in all
socioeconomic groups while victims or
bully/victims are slightly more likely to
come from lower socioeconomic
backgrounds. To predict who might
become a victim or bully/victim, a
combination of background, family
factors, such as parenting or sibling
relationships, and individual
characteristics need to be considered.
As bullies are found in all social strata,
social conditions can mean that anyone
is at risk of becoming a victim,
particularly those in hierarchical school
settings who are new or different, and
have few friends to support them.
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