Overview of Bullying

Abstract

The term “bullying” refers to a specific form of aggressive behavior in which one person or a group of people frequently targets a weaker person for physical harm, social exclusion, or both.

Why do bullies act the way they do? Some researchers have hypothesised that bullies seek to establish themselves as the most popular and influential members of their peer group. Aiming to improve one’s social standing is intrinsically linked to being part of a group, despite being an individual motivation. The term “status” refers to a person’s “relative standing in the peer hierarchy,” or “the result of an evaluation of attributes that produces differences in respect and prominence.”

The current study focuses on the concept of bullying and sheds light on numerous facts about this behavior, including why people engage in bullying, why bullying continues, and how victims cope in various peer groups.