Social status linked to bullying, study says

By Staff Writer

A new study reveals that teens who are trying to remain well-liked by their peers are more likely to bully other kids, according to HealthDay.

The research, which appears in the journal American Sociological Review, is based on a survey of 3,700 students in the eighth, ninth and 10th grades. The teens were asked about their behavior toward others as well as how they were treated by classmates. In addition, kids were asked to name their top five friends so the study team could determine which kids were at the center of the school's social network, the news provider reported.

They found that many teens who were popular were the most likely to tease or be physically aggressive toward others. Bullying behavior peaked at the 98th percentile of popularity, but dropped significantly for the top 2 percent., according to the media outlet

This reveals that many adolescents pick on their peers in an attempt to climb or preserve their spot in the social pecking order. However, students who are the most well-liked no longer believe they need to treat others poorly to improve their own status.

The lead author of the study concluded that social hierarchies fuel aggression, which dispels past notions that domestic problems or mental health issues were the primary causes of bullying in schools.

According to the Los Angeles Times, Dan Kindlon, a Harvard psychologist, said that popular teen movies over the past two decades, including Mean Girls and The Breakfast Club, accurately depicts how high-status kids are prone to bullying.

Problem teens who bully other students may benefit from boarding schools, many of which provide the tools that are necessary to build positive peer relationships.