Risk Factors of Bullying Victims
By: Leona Kim
April 26, 2018
Victims of bullying find themselves being intimidated and forced to feel uncomfortable by classmates, but do they ever see the signs they put out that are so tempting to bullies? When individuals learn about these factors, they can hide them and reduce the chances of falling into the hands of bullies.
Bullies usually go after passive individuals, or those who give into their surroundings without resistance. To clarify, bullies go after students who are over-emotional and typically have a low self-esteem. When students respond to bullying by expressing sadness or vexation, bullies will become excited and will continue their actions.
People who lack social skills, those with low peer acceptance, tend to be at risk of bullying. This is because when bullies notice someone who lacks friends, they know that person may be unable to seek help from other peers. As a result, the bullying victim will constantly get attacked and could often feel left out of social situations.
Standing out from the crowd could also increase the risk of being bullied. Bullies tend to find an individual who is considered “different” than the rest of the crowd, because being different prevents the individual from seeking sympathy from observers. When someone is different, there is a difficult chance of being able to avoid or escape bullying.
Those who are caring, fair, and ethical can increase the chances of being bullied. This is because “Bullies view such traits as a drain on their power,” according to Sally Kane from thebalancecareers.com. This just shows that bullies are wounded individuals who seek hatred as a way to boost their own insecurities.
Provoking the bully can only fuel the fire and pain. This is due to the fact that there is a form of competition going on: a battle for popularity and superiority. Often times the victim shows characteristics of aggressiveness, low tolerance for others, and the desire to be stronger than others.
Bullying is highly common in school and in the workforce as well. When people learn about these factors and fix their ways, their chances of being bullied will reduce and their self-esteem will increase in the process.