Finally, boys are more likely than girls to engage in bullying behavior and to be the victims of bullies. Students who engage in bullying behaviors seem to have a need to feel powerful and in control. They appear to derive satisfaction from inflicting injury and suffering on others, seem to have little empathy for their victims, and often defend their actions by saying that their victims provoked them in some way. Studies indicate that bullies often come from homes in which physical punishment is used, children are taught to strike out physically as a way to handle problems, and parental involvement and warmth are frequently lacking. Students who regularly display bullying behaviors are generally defiant or oppositional toward adults, are antisocial, and are apt to break school rules.
Bullies appear to have little anxiety and to possess strong self-esteem.
There is little evidence to support the contention that bullies victimize others because they feel bad about themselves. Students who are victims of bullying are typically anxious, insecure, and cautious and suffer from low self-esteem, rarely defending themselves or retaliating when confronted by students who bully them. They may lack social skills and friends and thus are often socially isolated. Victims tend to be close to their parents and may have parents who can be described as overprotective. A strong correlation appears to exist between bullying other students during the school years and experiencing legal or criminal troubles as adults.