Bullying: precipitating factors in bullying

Given the increase in cases of violence in the school context and the fatal outcomes that the absence of early detection of such episodes can lead to, Let's see what are the factors that precipitate and maintain such disturbing events.

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Common behaviors in bullying

The bullying It is a concept derived from the English language to name the set of behaviors and situations in which bullying is exercised. Bullying is the type of bullying that is established between individuals (usually minors, but not exclusively) in the school environment. Very diverse are the behaviors that can be included within this taxonomy, within which actions take place directly physical but also covert, for example intimidation, bullying, stigmatization, isolation, threats, insults, etc.

A) Yes, the highest proportion of bullying samples go unnoticed in the presence of educators or parents of the students involved. In addition, it is very common that apart from the main aggressor and victim there are many other actors who play some kind of role in the bullying situation that aggravates and perpetuates it (usually supporting the figure of the aggressor). The different types of bullying correspond to the following typologies:

• Physical: pushing, kicking, throwing objects at the victim, etc.
• Verbal: insult, belittle, criticize or mock the physical appearance, etc.
• Psychological: deteriorate the victim's self-esteem, frighten her, etc.
• Social: isolate the victim from the peer group.

Profile of the aggressor in cases of bullying

The particularity that should not be overlooked is that in cases of bullying, both the victim and the aggressor present an emotional alteration derived from certain psychological problems that favor the exercise of both a role and of the other.

Thus, in the case of the aggressor, although there seems to be unanimity regarding this assertion, it is very complex to establish a specific psychosocial profile. Even so, the knowledge of the particular reasons for which a certain bullying situation has been generated helps to a great extent to be able to intervene to put an end to said episode.

Research points, however, to affirm that there are certain traits that bullies share more frequently, such as: low self-esteem, feelings of inferiority and need to reaffirm through aggressiveness (motivator of aggression towards the other), provocative attitude in most social situations in general, scarce resources for adequate coping with conflicts and no tolerance for frustration, presence of aggressive behavior models close to him and little capacity empathic.

Thus, the functioning of the aggressor child is usually authoritarian, violent, irritable, impulsive, intolerant and he usually uses these characteristics to exercise power (and assert himself) before the other. Aggressors can be direct when they harass the victim directly or indirectly when they support or induce others to engage in this type of abusive practice.

When trying to investigate the factors that have led a child to engage in this type of behavior, it is observed that in in many cases the family environment of upbringing is not very affective, violent and there is a total absence of educational guidelines adequate. For this reason, aggressive children usually put into practice what they themselves observe in their referent figures: hostile and aggressive behavior. These family environments are also characterized by a great demand from parents to children in terms of school performance, extracurricular or in social relationships.

Factors that precipitate the appearance of bullying

The factors called maintainers are fundamental elements that must be identified and intervened in order to achieve a positive evolution of the bullying episode. They can be classified based on the area in which they originate.

A) Yes, In the family environment, parents tend to present an attitude of negative affection and even rejection of the son. In addition, the degree of permissiveness is high in the face of aggressive behaviors of the child and there is an absence of limits in the establishment of norms and the application of consequences after these. The educational style is usually authoritarian and the use of physical and emotional punishment is used very frequently (which feeds back on the violent functioning of the child). Finally, it has been found that this type of family is associated with common traumatic or intensely stressful life events such as illnesses, for example.

In the personal area, the aspects that keep these harassing behaviors refer mainly to the consumption of toxins with regularity, impulsiveness and poor emotional self-control, vicarious learning of violent behaviors as a way of dealing with interpersonal or complex situations, etc.

In the school environment, sudden changes to school and arising from changing family circumstances with relative frequency, excessive changes in the teaching team, a change of cycle, dynamics that are too strict or too permissive in the class group, etc., can be important factors to bear in mind. account.

Finally, at the social level, there may be a phenomenon known as "social contagion" by which the dominance or leadership of an individual added A weak and uncritical personality on the part of the rest of the group members favors these types of harassment practices towards a third party. Usually, the subjects who adopt passively this role internalize the victim, endowing a stigmatized characterization. This, being a practice shared by the whole group, dilutes the feeling of guilt for exercising this type of treatment towards the victim.

Another considerable influence is exerted by the content of the media to which young people are subjected today today, very often without adult supervision that offers them an adequate assumption of the information viewed. Related to this, one can also talk about the values ​​of society that are transmitted through these media, which promote success, competitiveness and power or violence as effective methods of facing any type of situation everyday.

In conclusion

In the text it has been possible to verify that many of the actions that are defined as bullying behaviors are usually very complex to detect, since in many cases they do not cause visible and immediate consequences in the victims.

The most frequent form of school violence is insidious in nature (verbal, not physical), the effect of which is psychological impact on victims can lead to emotionally significant consequences that are very harmful. Among them, the following can be highlighted: decrease in school performance and the appearance of learning difficulties that in severe episodes can lead to school failure; development of intense anticipatory anxiety symptoms at the idea of ​​attending school, interacting with equal in the school context or the occurrence of a new bullying event, all this can cause the appearance of phobia school; significant deterioration of self-concept and self-esteem; appearance of depressive symptoms and suicidal ideation; low expectation of achievement and learned helplessness for which the victim does not emit any type of active coping, among others.

It is decisive, therefore, to carefully analyze what type of factors (both internal and those related to the profile of the aggressor, such as external or environmental) are contributing to the perpetuation of this type of behavior in the classrooms. The action of the figures of educators, family members, as well as the values ​​transmitted by today's society seem to play an important role in all this.