Sociological causes and explanations linked to bullying.
Further, bullying is a complex issue that is affected and results from various factors. The study of why some people become bullies is essential to understanding the sociology of bullying. Different institutions can also understand how people become bullies and develop ways to eradicate bullying and improve the environment.
Gender plays a critical role in bullying. People who are gender non-conforming are at higher risks of becoming bullying victims (Bowman, 2018). Gender plays a crucial role in developing a bullying attitude, with sixty-six percent of the male gender identified as bullies.
The disparity in the number of bullies between the male and female gender is associated with their upbringing. Girls are encouraged to talk about their feeling which, is described as a sign of weakness in boys. Since the boys are not allowed to express themselves, boys become physically and verbally aggressive to deal with their feelings. Additionally, society is more comfortable with the aggressive attitude of boys than the display of emotions (Bowman, 2018). The male gender is faced with a difficult situation on whether or not to display their feelings and can lead them to either become victims of bullying or engage in bullying behaviour.
Stress is also another sociological cause of the development of aggressive attitudes. The annual bullying survey states that many people become bullies after exposure to stressful phenomena for a long time. People respond differently to stressors, and some can develop bullying behaviour (Bowman, 2018). The study also states that the inability to create positive strategies to cope with stress results from a lack of proper training at the family level. Further, people who portray bullying characteristics are more distant from their families, and they do not have a support system to share their stress.
One of the most stressful events that can lead to bullying is a victim of bullying. The study of Bowman (2018) states that victims of bullying develop this behaviour as a defines mechanism, and they believe by bullying others, they are no longer victims. Further, victims develop bullying behaviour to prove to themselves and others that they are better than certain other groups. Bullies who are victims of bullying also grow this behaviour to attract attention and prove that some people are more deserving of bullying than themselves. Bullying behaviour develops from observers of bullying who decide to copy the behaviour to satisfy the urge to exert their power on others.
The theoretical perspective of bullying
Social capital theory
The theorist explains bullying from a theoretical perspective due to its complexity. Several theories are used to expound the understanding of bullying and the adverse outcomes to the victims. One of the theories that help explain the concept of bullying is the social capital theory. Social capital is the benefit that is gained by people through social interactions and strengthens social bonds. Most people invest their time in social interaction to fulfil their goals and profit from such interactions (Smokowski & Evans, 2019). Social capital theorists stated that access to information, influence, social credentials, and reinforcement of identity are benefits from social interactions.
Bullying affects the social status of the victims, and they end up forming friendships with fellow victims. These friendships have less value since they do not increase the accessibility of important information, social credentials, and access to people of power. Most bullied people are excluded from most social events due to their low social capital (Smokowski & Evans, 2019). The low social capital prolongs the victimization experience, and the bullying behaviour continues uninterrupted. On the other hand, bullies use bullying tactics to gain social capital by exerting power on the weak in their community. Though bullies are often disliked, they are more popular, indicating social capital and a higher social status than t
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