What constitutes bullying and its underlying factors are continually being debated as lawmakers enter relatively uncharted territory with new anti-bullying laws and measures.
“The thing about bullying is you need a very holistic approach,” said Robin Goodman, a clinical psychologist who deals with child trauma issues, among other areas.
One has to factor in predispositions, both genetic and societal, as well as kids who may have impulse-control problems, she said. In light of new state and local anti-bullying laws, the psychology of bystanders who witness bullying is also crucial, she said.
“Bystanders often feel helpless, scared, out of control,” she said. “If they’re so scared that they’re not telling the adults about the bullying, then how far can the law go?”
Bullying itself goes beyond mere teasing, she said.
“Bullying really is overpowering someone,” Goodman said. “So it really is a different thing.”
Indeed, students who bully have strong needs for power and dominance, and are often rewarded for the behavior, either materially or psychologically, according to the Olweus Bullying Prevention program. Dan Olweus, a Norwegian psychologist, is the so-called pioneer of bullying research.
In that vein, one solution, difficult though it may be, is to ignore intimidators to cut off any real or perceived payoff.
Pokuwah Duah, who was dropping her son off at Patrick Henry Elementary School Friday morning in Alexandria, said her son hasn’t been in any incidents she was aware of. Growing up in Ghana, she said she dealt with would-be bullies by ignoring them.
“Our system is different from here,” she said. “If and when you are teased and you ignore [bullies] … eventually they’ll stop. If you move on with your life, eventually they will stop.”
