Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

An Investigation to Explain Factors that Cause Bullying Behaviors amongst Children in Schools
Christy Freeman
Norfolk State University

Author Note

Christy Freeman, Department of Interdisciplinary Studies, Norfolk State University.

Correspondence concerning this paper should be addressed to Christy Freeman, Department of
Interdisciplinary Studies, Norfolk State University, 700 Park Avenue, Norfolk, VA 23504. Email: c.freeman73992@spartans.nsu.edu.

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

Abstract
Bullying is a worldwide epidemic. There are many different studies which have been done to
address this all too common problem. However, the research that has been done does not fully
address all of the aspects involved in bullying. The research done has been useful and does
provide pertinent information to address school bullying. However, it is necessary to take an
interdisciplinary approach to school bullying to fully address and evaluate the problem, as well
as provide possible solutions to the problem of bullying. This paper will evaluate theories
associated with school bullying, including developmental theory, social-ecological approach,
dominance theory, and further expand on the discussion of bullying as seen from psychological,
sociological and educational disciplines.
Keywords: bullying, schools, education, sociological approach, psychological approach,
developmental theory, dominance theory, social-ecological approach, educational perspective

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

Research Map

RESEARCH MAP
What is the purpose of the research? (explain, explore, evaluate, critique, discuss,
address), etc.
The purpose of this study is to explain the causes of bullying in schools.

What are the assumptions of each discipline?

Psychology- Everything takes place in the mind.
Mental processes are the core of ones being.
Sociology- Social behaviors vary amongst
people. Societal influences affect everyone
differently.
Biology- Predetermined processes inside the
body can affect ones actions. Genetic factors
may be included in biology.
Economics- Goods will be purchased, sold, and
distributed throughout society. Money and
goods can affect people differently.
Education- Learning is the foundation of
complex thinking. Education teaches multiple
ideas and thoughts. School policies and rules
vary by district.

What disciplines are POTENTIALLY relevant?

Psychology
Sociology
Biology
Economics
Education

What are the perspectives of each

discipline on the problem?

Psychology- Everything takes place in the

mind. Different mental processes can
affect an individuals actions. Ways of
thinking may impact ones behaviors.
Sociology- Ones societal influence can
affect an individual. Different cultures
have different believes on discipline.
Different societal groups may have more
occurrences of bullying.
Biology- Predetermined processes inside
the body can affect ones actions. One
may have a genetic predisposition which
makes bullying behavior more likely.
Economics- Good and money can be a
cause of bullying alone. Also, the lack of
money and goods can cause bullying.
Education- Bullying is taking place in our
schools. Policy making and legislation
may allow bullying behavior. Also, the
success and economic state of a school
may affect the rate of bullying.

Are there any non-disciplinary sources or

interpretations? Should there be any? (These would
include persons who do the work, involved, etc.)

No.

Which disciplinary perspectives speak best towards the solution, discussion,

evaluation, analysis, etc. of the problem? WHY?

Psychology- Uses the mind and processes therein to explain ones actions.
Some childrens minds may work different to cause bullying tendencies.
Sociology- Ones environment and interactions amongst societal groups can
influence behavior. Certain groups may be more likely to have bullying
tendencies.
Education: Bullying occurs in our schools. The education system and success
of a school district may have an effect on bullying behaviors. The policy
making of our schools may affect how well the teachers can discipline the
children. Lack of proper legislation may result in more bullying behaviors.

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

Overview:
Bullying has been around since the beginning of time. This is not a new issue and it is increasing
more and more every day. When asked about bullying behaviors, 1 in 7 students report being a
bully or a victim of a bully, while 56% report being a witness of bullying behavior (Make Beats
Not Beatdowns, 2009). It is important to recognize what constitutes bullying. Bullying can be
defined as unwanted aggressive behaviors that are meant to intimidate another. This can be in
the form of words, physical aggressions or even cyber actions. It is common amongst school age
children, ranging from preschool to college (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services).
The difficulty with bullying is that it is influenced by multiple perspectives and disciplines. This
epidemic needs to be addressed and the different views associated with bullying need to be
analyzed. First, let us look at some of the individual theories pertaining to bullying.
The Developmental Theory:
From a psychological perspective, Erik Erikson formed the theory of development. In this
theory, he states that people go through different stages of development. Each stage has its own
unique characteristics to explain different thoughts that take place. These stages range from birth
to maturity, and include major conflicts that take place in each stage. For example, in the
infancy stage, one deals with trust vs. mistrust. In looking at bullying in schools, we can study
the stages of preschool, school age, and adolescence (Cherry, 2013).
During the preschool stage, which occurs from ages 3-5, children are learning about Initiative vs.
Guilt. This leads the child to assert control and power. This can be a starting point of bullying
behaviors. For example, the child is trying to assert control and therefore aggressively snatches

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

toys from one of his/her classmates. This shows that the child has control and rather than sharing
a toy, the child is demonstrating a bullying behavior. If this behavior is not corrected at an early
stage, then the child can continue to engage in bullying behaviors for years to come (Cherry,
2013).
In the school age stage, which occurs from ages 6-11, children struggle with the concept of
industry vs. inferiority. This stage teaches children about new social and academic demands and
the need to be productive members of society (Cherry, 2013). Children in this stage may have
feelings of inferiority and can therefore be an easy target for bullies. If a child is already feeling
inferior, adding bullying behaviors by others to this may cause severe trauma for the child. As
stated by Dr. Terry Ehiorobo, traumatic events, such as bullying, during development can result
in developmental processes being affected as well as parts of the brain being affected (Ehiorobo,
2012).
During the adolescence phase, which occurs during ages 12-18, children struggle to fit into their
own identity. This is when children are learning about a sense of self and being true to oneself.
During this stage, bullying can be very evident. Bullies will pick on victims who are not sure of
themselves and who are struggling to find their identity. This can include tripping another
student and laughing at them because of the clothes they are wearing. The victim will have
lasting mental issues because of the bullying behavior.

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

(Sissy299, 2013).
Eriksons theory of development addresses different stages in which children may exhibit
bullying behaviors. This theory is applicable when discussing bullying trends and causes. As a
child ages, he/she goes through these different stages and struggles with issues that can result in
bullying. If nothing is done to prevent these actions, the child will have lasting social problems
as well as self-esteem and isolation issues (Banks, 1997). While Eriksons theory does address
developmental stages and issues therein, it does not fully address all of the aspects of bullying.
For example, from a sociological perspective, bullying may be caused by social situations and
the environment in which one grows up. This leads us to examine the social-ecological approach
of bullying.
Social-Ecological Approach:
Some have viewed bullying as a result of social and ecological factors. This approach
incorporates a more holistic approach than other perspectives; however it still does not fully
address all of the causes of bullying. The social-ecological approach states that bullying is a
result of multiple environments, including family, peers, schools and communities (Espelage &
Swearer, 2008). These factors can all be determinants of bullying behavior amongst school age

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

children. For example, if a student comes from a family where anger and violence is common,
then he/she is more likely to also demonstrate violent behaviors. This can be in the form of
bullying. This view is supported by the ecological-systems theory, which states that individuals
are the center of a system, and the other systems that affect that individual branch out from the
individual. These other systems can include family, school, peers, and community. The image
below (Fig 1.1) depicts the ecological-systems theory.

(Espelage & Swearer, 2008)

Individual behaviors can change amongst settings. For example, at home a child might imitate
the behavior of an older sibling. This could be a bullying behavior that is imitated. At the
community pool a child might horseplay with other children his/her age and participate in
bullying behaviors. Also, even without participating in the bullying behavior, simply being a
bystander can have negative effects on a child. By recognizing the impact of social settings,
such as the community and family influences, and the interaction of these settings and those

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

involved, the social-ecological approach is more successful at addressing the problem of bullying
(Espelage & Swearer, 2008).
Dominance Theory:
The dominance theory takes a sociological approach to bullying. This theory states that students
exhibit bullying behaviors in order to be dominant of others. In order to establish social
dominance, one might pick on others to make them feel inferior. This allows the bully to
achieve dominance and a higher social status than the victim (Mouttapa, Valente, et al, 2004).
This can have negative effects for all involved. Not only will the victim have low self-esteem
and poor social skills, but poor school performance may also result. The victim may act out in
class so that the punishment of not going to recess will keep him/her from being a victim of a
bully (Ehiorobo, 2012). The bully also may suffer social isolation because peers do not want to
be associated with the bully. This can affect ones ability later in life to maintain lasting
relationships, which can affect ones mental health (Banks, 1997). In some cases, the bully may
go on in life and the bullying behavior will turn into more law breaking activity. As stated by the
differential association theory, those who participate in bullying behavior or have positive
feelings towards violence are more likely to engage in criminal behaviors (Moon, Hwang &
McCluskey, 2008). This goes hand in hand with the general strain theory, where sociologist
Robert Agnew stated that the strain and stress a victim of bullying experiences can manifest into
problematic emotions later in life which could result in delinquent behavior (Donegan, 2012).

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

The dominance theory makes valid arguments in the case of bullying. The sociological approach
is useful in recognizing how people act in a variety of settings. Social status can have a huge
effect on bullying and future behaviors and thoughts.
Educational Approach:
It is important to recognize the relationship of education and bullying. Not only is bullying
taking place in schools worldwide, but the issue of bullying is still continuing. This is why the
educational approach is so important. The educators of the schools need to ensure that bullying
is being addressed. It is important to implement school policies that will deter students from
participating in bullying behaviors. This includes recognizing and intervening in bullying
behaviors. Hand in hand with intervention, it is necessary for victims of bullying to feel
comfortable to come forward and inform an adult of the behaviors taking place. In an
anonymous survey given to children about bullying behaviors, half of the students admitted that
they had never told anyone about the behavior. Students should have a way to anonymously
inform educators of bullying behaviors in those cases where they do not feel comfortable coming
forward (Reid, Monsen & Rivers, 2003). This will still allow the bullying behavior to be
addressed and ultimately stopped. The educational approach also must address school
legislatures to ensure that those who do engage in bullying behaviors are punished appropriately.
It is pertinent to enforce anti bullying legislation and to take steps to prevent future bullying.
Along with this, it is important to get parents involved as well as educated about bullying
behaviors (Sardoch, 2006). This leads us right back to the influence of sociological factors such
as family.

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

10

The fact that bullying is such a multifaceted issue, it is important to use more than one discipline
to address it. As exhibited by the different theories and perspectives, we find that it is most
helpful to use psychological, sociological and educational disciplines to analyze bullying.
Psychological disciplines have addressed the issue of bullying and can explain many of the side
effects of bullying behaviors. The psychological approach shows that processes in the brain are
the most important influence. The way in which one thinks can be a huge determinant of
bullying behaviors. However, that is not the only determinant. The sociological approach
encompasses the community in which one resides as well as the relationships amongst others.
These relationships can have an effect on ones behaviors. The environments in which one lives
can affect behaviors, both positively and negatively. This leads right into the educational
approach. The schools in which the bullying is occurring have a huge impact on the behaviors
that take place. The relationships between peers as well as between students and teachers can
explain why bullying behaviors take place. The educators also have the ability to make rules and
even stronger legislations to prevent bullying behaviors in children. All of these approaches are
necessary to fully address and discuss the issue of bullying. Solely using one discipline will not
fully address and identify the factors of bullying behaviors. Until the integration of multiple
disciplines and thought can take place, bullying will continue to take place. The interdisciplinary
approach is not going to end bullying overnight, but it definitely can help to address the problem
and prevent bullying behaviors.

Running Head: FACTORS THAT CAUSE SCHOOL BULLYING

11

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