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Aggressive Victims
Basic Concept Studies have shown that if a child has been previously attacked, there is an equal chance that he or she will become an aggressive or pure victim (Perry, Kusel, & Perry, 1998). Brockenbrough, Cornell and Loper (2002) found that about 30% of the bullied junior high school students they studied tended to behave aggressively. They used violence as revenge against bullying and ultimately became aggressive victims. Because they have been bullied or hurt by others before, aggressive victims often appear to be highly anxious and nervous and frequently have thoughts of revenge (Olweus, 1995; Schwartz, Dodge, Pettit, & Bates, 1997).
Characteristics of Aggressive Victims Aggressive victims lack self-control (Schwartz, Proctor, & Chien, 2001) and are easier to provoke than proactive aggressors. If their situation becomes progressively worse, aggressive victims’ cognitive structure can become distorted, leading to cognitive bias and misinterpretation. These victims may gradually become reactive aggressors.
Aggressive victims tend to collect more offensive weapons or toys than pure victims. They also engage in more quarrels and fights with others. Some instantly react with violence, so they are often mistaken for aggressors and punished. Although they are victims of bullying, they receive less acceptance and sympathy from their peers and teachers. Further, among the two types of aggressors and two types of victims, they have the highest chance of becoming isolated by their peers (Schwartz, 2000). Aggressive victims generally have very low self-esteem and regard themselves as less attractive or important than others (O’Moore & Kirkham, 2001). They are often over-anxious and perceive themselves as unhappier than others (O’Moore & Kirkham, 2001). Some researchers have found that aggressive victims are more depressed and have more somatic symptoms than other aggressors and victims (Swearer, Song, Cary, Eagle & Mickelson, 2001). Other studies have shown that aggressive victims tend to attribute their failures to external factors such as misfortune, indicating that they have difficulty taking responsibility (Georgiou, & Stavrinides, 2008). Family Background The parents of aggressive victims have a similar parenting style to the parents of reactive aggressors. One of the parents may over-protect, and the other neglect the child. These children often fail to become independent and are unable to protect themselves from harm in a proper way (Bowers, Smith, & Binney, 1994).
Studies have found that the parents of aggressive girls only give advice to their daughters the first time they seek help, but not thereafter (Laura, Irma, Ritva-Liisa, & Liisa, 1998). This suggests that daughters are often unable to receive help from their parents, and the lack of a parental response causes them to develop insecure attachment relationships. In this type of relationship, the parents’ attitude towards their children is often unpredictable, and their advice is ambiguous. Without appreciation and recognition from parents, these children lack self-confidence and are often suspicious of others. It is not easy for them to establish trusting relationships with others. Negative Effects Aggressive victims lack confidence in their surroundings, others and even themselves. They have high levels of anxiety and may also display psychosomatic symptoms. They may have eating disorders (Kaltiala-Heino et al., 2000) and be at risk for depression, anxiety and other psychiatric disorders (Cary, Swearer, Song, Haye, & Sohn, 2001), delinquent behaviour (Haynie et al., 2001) and even suicidal ideation (Klomek, Marrocco, Kleinman, Schonfeld, & Gould, 2007). One longitudinal study found that many aggressive victims suffer from psychological and psychiatric symptoms when they enter adulthood (Kumpulainen & Rasanen, 2000). Additionally, aggressive victims have a greater chance of engaging in high-risk activities such as smoking and drinking (NICHD, 2001).
Case Study Kenneth (a pseudonym), a Form 1 student in a boys’ school, is short and skinny. His classmates always laugh at him and call him ‘doggie’ in front of the class. They slap him hard on his arms and head and draw on his books for no reason. Kenneth is constantly being bullied by others, both physically and verbally. When he shared his bullying experience, Kenneth became very angry, revealing his inability to trust others.
Once, when Kenneth told his teacher he was being bullied in class, she claimed she did not notice. Kenneth said the teacher must have seen what happened because he sat at the front of the class. Nonetheless, the teacher ignored his complaint. During the group intervention, Kenneth recalled that once there was a classmate who made fun of him, while the rest of his classmates followed and looked down on him. Kenneth related that only those who were seriously ill could be trusted because they were unable to harm him. In a group session, Kenneth revealed that he had once convinced his friend to beat up a classmate who had bullied him at school. He said the only way to stop the classmate from bullying him was to beat him up, even though he would risk being punished. In Kenneth’s words, ‘The teacher would take action only when I worsen the incident. It didn’t matter even if I got three demerits, as long as the classmate got at least one as well’. Kenneth eventually abandoned his revenge because his friend was not brave enough to beat up the classmate with him. This reflected Kenneth’s lack of self-confidence. Kenneth said he regards the conduct as a very important thing because good conduct can reflect on his own integrity. He also remarked that integrity is more important than academic performance. He does not want his poor conduct to have any negative effects on his future. Kenneth’s experience demonstrates his tendency to seek revenge against people who bully him. He said only violence can solve his problems; however, at the same time, he worries about his lack of ability. Further, Kenneth regards morality as very important. Thus, when he encounters a bullying situation, he often struggles between obeying his moral principles and taking revenge through violence. He is highly confused. |