Children Who Bully

Bullying among children is aggressive behavior 

that is intentional and that involves an imbalance of

power or strength. Typically, it is repeated over time.

Bullying can take many forms such as hitting or

punching (physical bullying); teasing or name-calling

(verbal bullying); intimidation through gestures or

social exclusion (nonverbal bullying or emotional

bullying); and sending insulting messages by e-mail

(cyberbullying). 

There is no one single cause of bullying among

children. Rather, individual, family, peer, school, and

community factors can place a child or youth at risk

for bullying his or her peers.

Characteristics of children who bully

Children who bully their peers regularly (i.e.,those who

admit to bullying more than occasionally) tend to

• Be impulsive, hot-headed, dominant;

• Be easily frustrated;

• Lack empathy;

• Have difficulty following rules; and

• View violence in a positive way.

Boys who bully tend to be physically stronger than

other children.

Family risk factors for bullying

Children who bully are more likely than their 

nonbullying peers to live in homes where there is:

• A lack of warmth and involvement on the part 

of parents;

• Overly-permissive parenting (including a lack of

limits for children’s behavior);

• A lack of supervision by parents;

• Harsh, physical discipline; and

• A model for bullying behavior.

Peer risk factors for bullying

Children and youth who bully are more likely to

have friends who bully and who have positive

attitudes toward violence.

Common myths about children who bully

“Children who bully are loners.”

• In fact, research indicates that children and youth

who bully are not socially isolated. 

• They report having an easier time making friends

than children and youth who do not bully.

• Children and youth who bully usually have at

least a small group of friends who support or

encourage their bullying.

“Children who bully have low self-esteem.”

• In fact, most research indicates that children and

youth who bully have average or above-average

self-esteem.

• Interventions that focus on building the selfesteem of children who bully probably will be

ineffective in stopping bullying behavior.

Bullying and other violent 

or antisocial behaviors

Research shows that bullying can be a sign of other

serious antisocial or violent behavior. Children and

youth who frequently bully their peers are more

likely than others to

• Get into frequent fights,

• Be injured in a fight,

• Vandalize property,

• Steal property,

• Drink alcohol,

• Smoke,

• Be truant from school,

• Drop out of school, and

• Carry a weapon.
These and other materials are available online at: www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov

Research also shows that

• Children who bully are more likely to report that

they own guns for risky reasons, such as to gain

respect or frighten others.

• Boys who were identified as bullies in middle

school were four times as likely as their 

non bullying peers to have more than one

criminal conviction by age 24.

What do I do if my child is bullying others?

• Make it clear to your child that you take 

bullying seriously and that you will not tolerate

this behavior.

• Develop clear and consistent rules within your

family for your children’s behavior. Praise and

reinforce your children for following rules and 

use non-physical, non hostile consequences for

rule violations.

• Spend more time with your child and carefully

supervise and monitor his or her activities. Find

out who your child’s friends are and how and

where they spend free time.

• Build on your child’s talents by encouraging 

him or her to get involved in prosocial activities

(such as clubs, music lessons, nonviolent sports).

• Share your concerns with your child’s teacher,

counselor, or principal. Work together to send

clear messages to your child that his or her

bullying must stop.

• If you or your child needs additional help, talk

with a school counselor or mental 

health professional.

References

Byrne, B. J. (1994). Bullies and victims in school settings with reference to some Dublin schools. Irish Journal of Psychology, 15, 574-586.

Cairnes, R. B., Cairnes, B. D., Neckerman, H. J., Gest, S. D., & Gariepy, J. L. (1988). Social networks and aggressive behavior: Peer support or

peer rejection? Developmental Psychology, 24, 815-823.

Cunningham, P. B., Henggeler, S. W., Limber, S. P., Melton, G. B., and Nation, M. A. (2000). Patterns and correlates of gun ownership among

nonmetropolitan and rural middle school students. Journal of Clinical Child Psychology, 29, 432-442.

Espelage, D., Bosworth, K., & Simon, T. (2000). Examining the social context of bullying behaviors in early adolescence. Journal of Counseling

and Development, 78, 326-333.

Limber, S. P. (2002). Addressing youth bullying behaviors. Proceedings from the American Medical Association Educational Forum on Adolescent

Health: Youth Bullying. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association.

Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M. D., Haynie, D. L., Ruan, W. J., & Scheidt, P. C. (2003). Relationships between bullying and violence among US youth.

Archives of Pediatric Adolescent Medicine, 157, 348-353.

Nansel, T. R., Overpeck, M., Pilla, R. S., Ruan, J., Simons-Morton, B., & Scheidt, P. (2001). Bullying Behaviors Among US Youth: Prevalence and

Association With Psychosocial Adjustment. Journal of the American Medical Association, 285, 2094-2100.

Olweus, D. (1993). Bullying at school: What we know and what we can do. NY: Blackwell.

Olweus, D., Limber, S., & Mihalic, S. (1999). The Bullying Prevention Program: Blueprints for Violence Prevention. Boulder, CO: Center for the Study

and Prevention of Violence.

Rigby, K. & Slee, P. T. (1993). Dimensions of interpersonal relations among Australian school children and their implications for psychological

well-being. Journal of Social Psychology, 133, 33-42.

Slee, P. T., & Rigby, K. (1993). The relationship of Eysenck’s personality factors and self-esteem to bully-victim behaviour in Australian

schoolboys. Personality and Individual Differences, 14, 371-373.