In his column, Martin E.P. Seligman proposed that it is high self-esteem that is related to aggression. There is increasing information on this issue and challenging the traditional view has been valuable. I will offer some considerations, however, to suggest that this relationship is quite complex and, as yet, far from clear. Dan Olweus found that bullies do not have low self-esteem. Several avenues may lead children, specifically boys, to become aggressive.
Some boys are effective in getting what they want through aggression.
It is possible that they have become aggressive through parental permissiveness, which is related to aggression, and possibly parental encouragement to be tough and aggressive. More common are boys who are ineffectual aggressors, who in addition to being aggressive are angry, argumentative and disruptive. They tend to be rejected by peers but are unaware of this. Not knowing that they are rejected makes it difficult for them to improve their peer relations. Over time, they become more aggressive and less effective in conventional realms, such as school.