Educational Equity Corner: Myths or Truths about bullies?
Bullies are loners. – Research shows that bullies are not socially isolated, have an easy time making friends, have a small group of friends who support bullying behaviors. Bullies have low self esteem. – Research shows that bullies have average or above average self-esteem, interventions that focus on building self esteem in bullies are not effective. Bullies are looking for attention. – Bullies are looking for control, behavior will not stop even if they are ignored Most bullying happens off of school grounds: most bullying occurs in classrooms, hallways, and playgrounds. Bullying affects only a small number of students. – Research shows that 25% of students are victims of bullying and 20% are engaged in bullying; bullying affects everyone involved, even bystanders.
