The myth that bullies are anxious and insecure. Instead he suggested that bullies had unusually low insecurity and anxiety. They did not suffer from poor self-esteem. Conversely, the typical victims of bullying were more anxious and insecure than other students in general; they often were cautious, sensitive, and quiet; suffered from low self-esteem; usually had a negative view of themselves; and looked upon themselves as stupid, ashamed, and unattractive. The self-esteem usually is higher among elementary school children and generally becomes more negative as students’ progress through the grades.
The parents and others in the home have the most influence on a child’s self-esteem. The healthy bonding is a significant factor in children’s resistance to crime and drugs. The healthy bonding is a result of good self-esteem formed through positive relationships, involvement in positive social organizations, and beliefs about what is right or wrong. Students agreed that most bullying is the result of the bully’s own lack of self-esteem. However, this is inconsistent with the notion that students said the bullies crave social influence and want to compensate for their own inadequacies.
As children go through school, boys feel better about themselves while girls’ self-esteem, opinions of themselves, and scores on standardized tests all decline. Girls also emerge from adolescence with a diminished sense of their worth as individuals. Adolescence is a time of personal uncertainty and self-doubt which can be translated into antisocial behavior. As a result, there are bound to be some who delight in tormenting, bullying, and physically abusing others. Lack of family involvement in schools has been cited as a major factor contributing to violent behavior in public schools. Negative home environments have been cited as being important in predicting that a child will engage in bullying behavior.
The families of bullies as having a marginal-to-negligent lack of involvement in the life of the child, few and inconsistently-observed limits, social isolation and disengagement from the community, general parental conflict and disharmony, ineffective child management techniques, and rigidity which included physical and emotional punishment.
