The relationship between bullying and the self-concept of children

Abstract

Bullying is a problem with serious consequences. One consequence is an altered self-concept. The children involved in bullying are divided into victims, bullies, and bully/victims, although some researchers argue that there are still other categories of children who play a role in bullying. Bullies seem to suffer the least from their negative self-concept, while bully/victims seem to have the most negative self-concept in almost all areas. The bullies have high social and athletic competences, whereas these self-concepts are negative in victims, and that makes them an easy target for the bullies. Factors that could influence bullying are inter-parental discord, theresponsiveness of the victim’s mother, and learning difficulties. Because bullying and becoming a victim are related to a negative self-concept, interventions should focus on enhancing the self-concept.