Bullying in Elementary Schools - Thesis Example

Definitions of bullying also contemplate that bullying occurs when there is an imbalance in terms of strengths between the victim and the bully. Bullying by definition involves conduct that attempts to or does deliberately inflict harm or some form of distress on designated victims (Dake, Price & Telljohann, 2003). By definition, conduct characteristics of bullying can be physical or verbal in nature. Dake, et. al., (2003) also inform that bullying can also take the form of “obscene gestures, or through intentional exclusion from a group” (p. 173). Thus drawing on the various definitions of bullying, a working definition of bullying for the purpose of this paper is a form of repetitive peer victimization or abuse in which the stronger peer or group of peers intentionally inflicts or attempts to inflict physical and/or psychological harm on a weaker peer or group of peers.

Bullying, therefore, consist of victims and aggressors. To this end, Olweus (1978) expands the definition of bullying by dividing bullies into three categories: aggressive, passive and bully-victim. Aggressive bullies are among the most prevalent category of bullies (Smokowski & Kopasz, 2005). Aggressive bullies are typically described as physically strong, belligerent, fear-less, coercive, ill-tempered, impulsive, and with no empathy for those whom they victimize (Ol-weus, 1978). Passive bullies are not as common as aggressive bullies and typically do not initiate bullying, but will usually join in once aggressive bullies have observed bullying (Salmivalli & Nieminen, 2002).

Passive bullies are described as generally suffering from low self-esteem, have difficulties at home and at school and will typically have bouts of temper tantrums (Olweus, 1978). Bully victims are not as popular as passive bullies (Solberg & Olweus, 2003). Bully-victims are characterized as unpopular and typically suffer from bouts of anxiety and depression. Moreover, bully-victims are not as physically strong as those who bully them, but physically stronger than their victims (Olweus, 1978).