Why Do People Bully?

You probably know a bully or two. You may even have had to deal with one from time to time. If you're wondering why people act that way, think about this:

• Sometimes, a bully is just getting even. They've been bullied themselves and want to take out their anger and frustration on someone else.
  
• Bullies often pick on people who "get on their nerves." Who knows why? Maybe the person they're picking on showed them up in class or said something that bothered the bully. Chances are, whatever's bothering the bully wasn't done on purpose, but bullies have a hard time seeing it that way.
  
• A lot of bullies are just imitating what they've seen other people do. Someone they respect (such as parents, caregivers, brothers, sisters, friends, grandparents) may be using bullying behavior as a way of getting what they want.
  
• A lot of bullies have just never been told that this behavior is wrong by the adults in their lives.
  
• They give in to peer pressure. Lots of bullies are set up to act the way they do by their friends.
  
• They were labelled as "a bully" once and feel that nobody expects any different from them now.

The thing to remember about bullying is that it might make the person doing it feel more powerful and in control, but it's not real power - people follow a bully out of fear, not respect.