ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE SCHOOL SETTING (FROM PSYCHOPATHIC BEHAVIOUR - APPROACHES TO RESEARCH, 1978, BY R D HARE AND D SCHALLING - SEE NCJ-57500)

• NCJ Number: 57507
• Author(s): D OLWENS
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 9 pages
• Corporate Author: John Wright and Sons, Ltd
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United Kingdom

Annotation

SELECTED DATA AND INTERPRETATIONS FROM A SWEDISH STUDY OF BULLIES AND WHIPPINGBOYS AMONG MALE SCHOOL CHILDREN ARE DISCUSSED.

Abstract

THE RESEARCH WAS CONCERNED WITH TWO TYPES OF CHILDREN: THOSE WHO ARE UNUSUALLY AGGRESSIVE, AND THOSE WHO BECOME THE TARGETS OF CONSTANT PHYSICAL AND MENTAL ABUSE BY OTHER CHILDREN. A CONCEPTUAL SCHEME OF PSYCHOLOGICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, AND SOCIAL FACTORS THOUGHT TO BE INVOLVED IN THE BULLY/WHIPPINGBOY PHENOMENA SERVED AS BACKGROUND FOR EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATIONS IN WHICH 1,000 BOYS, GRADES 6 THROUGH 8, FROM A TOWN NEAR STOCKHOLM TOOK PART. DATA GATHERED FROM TEACHERS AND STUDENTS REVEALED THAT MANY CHILDREN WERE SERIOUSLY INVOLVED IN WHIPPINGBOY/BULLY SITUATIONS. THE PROBLEM SEEMED TO BE PRIMARILY A REFLECTION OF INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS AMONG THE BOYS IN A CLASS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS WERE QUITE STABLE OVER TIME AND RELATIVELY INDEPENDENT OF THE SCHOOL ENVIRONMENT. BULLIES HAD STRONG, POORLY CONTROLLED AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES; POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD VIOLENCE; STRONG NEEDS FOR SELF-ASSERTION AND DOMINANCE; AND A SENSE OF FEARLESSNESS AND SELF-CONFIDENCE. THEY HAD GENERALLY POSITIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD THEMSELVES, BUT FELT NEGATIVE ABOUT THEIR FATHERS AND UNLIKED BY BOTH PARENTS. WHIPPINGBOYS WERE CLEARLY NONAGGRESSIVE, HAD NEGATIVE ATTITUDES TOWARD VIOLENCE, AND TENDED TO BE ANXIOUS, INSECURE, ISOLATED, LACKING IN SELF-ESTEEM, AND OVERPROTECTED BY THEIR PARENTS. AT TIMES, OTHERWISE WELL ADJUSTED BOYS WOULD JOIN IN ATTACKS ON WHIPPINGBOYS, POSSIBLY BECAUSE OF THE INFLUENCE OF BULLIES OR BECAUSE THE BULLIES' BEHAVIOR SEEMED TO BE REWARDED RATHER THAN PUNISHED. DEFECTIVE PARENT-CHILD RELATIONSHIPS AND PEER GROUP MODELING AND REINFORCEMENT INFLUENCES APPEAR TO BE THE MAJOR FACTORS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BULLY'S AGGRESSIVE, UNINHIBITED PERSONALITY. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT BULLIES' BEHAVIOR MIGHT BE MODIFIED THROUGH INCREASED SOCIAL CONTROL FROM BOTH ADULTS AND PEERS. A DIAGRAMMATIC REPRESENTATION OF THE BULLY/WHIPPINGBOY CONCEPTUAL SCHEME AND A LIST OF REFERENCES ARE INCLUDED. (LKM)