© 2008 – 2017 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Bully-victims: A special type? Some kids occupy the middle of the bullying food chain. They get bullied by dominant individuals, but they also perpetrate bulling themselves. Rejected, victimized, and aggressive, these “bully-victims” tend to have more psychological problems than either “pure bullies” or “pure victims.” We … Continue reading
How to prevent bullying? We need to change the behavior of bystanders, and we need to understand what causes kids to repeatedly intimidate, harass, or physically harm their peers. What works? Condemning the behavior, and arousing empathy for the victims. What doesn’t work? Condemning the bully as a person, and attempting to shame him or her. Whether … Continue reading
Human empathy depends on the ability to share the emotions of others, to feel what other people feel. It is regarded by many people as the foundation of moral behavior. But to some, the concept seems rather airy-fairy. What does it mean to say “I feel your pain”? Isn’t that just a fanciful flight of … Continue reading
© 2008 – 2013 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved Pure bullies are a distinctive group In Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Harry Potter learns a terrible truth: His late father had been a school bully. How disturbing. After all, Harry Potter’s father hadn’t been a social oaf—a slow-witted outsider who couldn’t … Continue reading
© 2008-2013 Gwen Dewar, Ph.D., all rights reserved In the old days, people took a laissez-faire approach to bullying in school. Bullying was considered a normal part of growing up. Kids were left to work things out for themselves. But the evidence suggests that bullying isn’t a healthy part of childhood. Yes, bullying is found … Continue reading