Are some children more likely to bully than others?

Key statement

Some of the major bullying studies have identified certain characteristics which are found in many children who bully. For example being uncaring and having a positive view of violence. The studies did not find that a typical bully has low self-esteem (as previously suggested). It is important to remember that this is a general picture and there will be exceptions.
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Comment

There are some people who consistently bully others. It may be reasonable to describe these people as 'bullies' and to try to find out if they have any distinguishing characteristics. However, if we accept that 'bullying' is often a group activity in which one person may be picked on by the majority of his classmates, any attempt to describe the common characteristics of these 'bullies' is likely to fail. They are involved in a social activity and have a wide variety of family circumstances and personal characteristics.
(Andrew Mellor)
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Do you want to find out more?

More 1 - social backgrounds
More 2 - social skills
More 3 - Scandinavian study
More 4 - Australian study of personality
More 5 - Brendan Byrne's research
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