Children who bully other children may actually suffer from social anxiety, but it presents as hostility and not shyness, according to new studies from George Mason University and the Netherlands.
- Professors Todd Kashdan and Patrick McKnight of George Mason found that one in five people suffering from social anxiety reported elevated levels of aggression.
- The Dutch researchers from the University of Groningen questioned 481 children ages 9 to 12 years old about how much they liked their classmates, and which ones were bullies or victims of bullies.
- The researchers found that bullies wanted the approval of their same-sex classmates, and that they divided children of the same sex into potential targets or sources of affection. They are actually using bullying as a means to gain friendships.
"Bullies are very strategic in their behaviors," said Dutch researcher Rene Veenstra. "They are looking for attention and affection from their peer group."
"For people with social anxiety," the George Mason researchers wrote, "it may seem like a reasonable strategy to attack and reject other people before those people get a chance to do the same to them."
Labels: bullying
Posted By: Jane St. Clair