Characteristics
At stage 4, bullying behavior has occurred. A collective understanding of what is allowed to be done, and directed at whom, has been established. Often, clear structures of a social hierarchy can be found, and it is often those at the bottom of the ladder who are subjected to bullying behavior.
When children and young people take control of which norms and values should apply, it creates insecurity and uncertainty about what is right and wrong. Social hierarchies arise and uncertainty arises regarding social roles and what behavior is permitted. This can lead to negative actions, exclusion and insults, which develop into bullying behavior. Who is at the bottom, and outside, of the social ladder can vary and change over time.
The authentication process is powerful
Most people who engage in bullying behavior know that it is wrong. Therefore, the legitimation process is an important mechanism for bullying behavior to occur (Støen, Fandrem, and Roland 2018). Legitimation is a strategy where one places the blame for bullying behavior on the person who is being bullied. One explains one's own negative actions by referring to characteristics, attitudes, or actions of the person being bullied as examples to justify one's own bullying behavior. Our experience is that the legitimation process is often powerful and persuasive, and that it is easy to fall into the trap of "understanding" the legitimation and participating in it.
Authentication may look like:
- Collective agreement that the victim is strange or different, and therefore deserves to be treated worse than others.
- Collective agreement that the other is not treated differently, but is too close-minded and lacks social competence at the same level as the rest of us.
- Collective agreement that the person being victimized is to blame for unrest in the learning environment.
Proactive mechanisms are stimulated by the perception of insecurity and fear in the person being bullied, and are reinforced by several different contextual factors:
A vulnerable other
Who is a “vulnerable other” can vary from group to group. We know that certain characteristics or vulnerabilities in children and young people contribute to their having/gaining a lower status in the children and young people group, and that they are at greater risk of being exposed to bullying behaviour, insults and exclusion (Støen, Fandrem and Roland 2018). At the same time, systematic conversations with students who are exposed to bullying behaviour, and students who have engaged in bullying behaviour, show that this vulnerability does not have to be anything other than being randomly designated and defined as someone with a lower status on the social ladder.
Collective antagonism – many against one
The community that arises in the collective legitimization process is strong, creating a strong sense of “us” and “them” (Eriksen and Lyng 2018). This helps to stimulate bullying behavior.
Social exclusion anxiety
People have a strong need to feel a sense of belonging. In a child or youth environment where a social hierarchy has emerged, those at the bottom of the social ladder are at regular risk of being subjected to bullying behavior and exclusion. This can lead to insecurity and fear of being the next to end up in the disadvantageous position, and stimulate joining the group that engages in bullying behavior.
Students say that when it is changed who is at the bottom of the social ladder and who is subjected to bullying behavior, the fear of social exclusion is reinforced, and then it is safer to participate in bullying behavior for fear of being the one who ends up outside next time. No one feels secure in their social position in the group, and it is especially unsafe for those who know that they are at the bottom of the social ladder.
A summary of systematic student interviews is that students who have a social vulnerability due to previous experiences of being excluded or subjected to bullying behavior have a particular fear of it happening again, and participate in bullying behavior to protect themselves. They say that they know and feel that this behavior is wrong, but it is better than the alternative of ending up outside themselves. This may explain why the visible confrontations that occur between children at the bottom of the social ladder become a kind of fight to not be the one who ends up "below the red line."
Fellow students as audience/spectator role
Peers who actively encourage, condone, or passively engage in bullying behavior contribute to encouraging more bullying behavior. Having spectators reinforces the experience of being violated for the victim, and at the same time reinforces the proactive mechanism that leads to bullying behavior in the perpetrators.
Teacher's actions/adult's actions
The teacher's actions can inhibit or promote negative behavior. In the worst case, the teacher contributes to bullying behavior through his actions or lack of actions. More about this is under step 6 of the ladder, which deals with the role of employees in bullying behavior.
What parents accept and understand
How the parent group perceives the students' behavior, bullying behavior and legitimization is an important stimulating factor for bullying behavior. Our research in various schools shows that parents actively contribute to bullying behavior by supporting their own children's legitimization of their own behavior. In more serious cases, the parent group also actively contributes to bullying behavior by excluding the victim's parents, engaging in gossip, and contributing to the exclusion of the child/youth by not inviting them into social situations. Parents can thus help support children's and young people's bullying behavior without being aware of it. More about this in step 5 of the ladder, which deals with parent groups that adopt the students' legitimization of bullying behavior.
Risk factors
Visible unrest in the children's group
At stage 4 we have a group characterized by uncertainty, conflicts, social hierarchies, bullying behavior and collective legitimization. The unrest in the group is often visible, even if the bullying behavior is not. In such groups, there is also one or more core groups that experience strong unity and friendship, and who enjoy strong social positions. This group of few people often describes the social environment as safe and good for themselves.
See also risk factors steps 2 and 3
Tools and measures
- FFS
- Activity plan
- Analysis room