Certain characteristics can increase a child's vulnerability to being bullied. These risk factors include being emotionally reactive, as bullies can easily provoke a response from them. Another significant factor is being perceived as different from the peer group, which can be due to being overweight, having cognitive impairments, or belonging to a different racial or ethnic group. Additionally, teenagers who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, or transgender face a particularly high risk of being targeted for bullying because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Children at Greater Risk of Being Bullied

Read the following scenario and identify the most likely underlying cause of the student's behavioral changes. Justify your answer by explaining how the observed behaviors align with the known negative outcomes of this particular experience.

Analyzing Behavioral Changes

The victim is the individual targeted in a bullying situation. Being subjected to bullying has several severe negative consequences, including a decline in mental health that can manifest as anxiety and depression. Victims may also see their academic performance suffer. In extreme cases, the experience of being bullied can lead to suicide.

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The dynamic of a bullying situation involves three distinct roles: the bully, who perpetrates the act; the victim, who is the target; and the witnesses or bystanders who observe the interaction. A defining characteristic of this dynamic is an imbalance of power, where the bully possesses more physical, emotional, or social power than the victim.

Parties Involved in Bullying

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

The bully is the individual who initiates and carries out the act of bullying. This role is characterized by holding a position of greater power—whether physical, emotional, or social—over the victim. For the bully, the experience can be rewarding, potentially leading to an enhanced sense of self-esteem.

Bullying: The Bully

Bullying: The Victim

Bystanders in bullying refers to individuals who witness the bullying but are not involved in the act. 

Bullying: The Bystandars

Bystanders, or witnesses, are the third party involved in a bullying incident. They are individuals who observe the negative interaction between the bully and the victim. The experience of witnessing bullying can also have negative consequences for these observers.

Bullying: The Bystanders

Read the following scenario and analyze the fundamental element that distinguishes this negative interaction as a potential bullying situation.

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