Knot4u2no
Verified Expert
Bullies and their victims are diverse populations, and there are no simple templates for identification, intervention or treatment. Bullying is a complex social phenomenon which takes many different forms and serves many different functions. Bullying may be physical, emotional or psychological and maybe perpetrated by one or more individuals. Bullying may be accomplished by acts of commission (e.g., physical aggression) or omission (e.g., social isolation), and may be a more or less direct or indirect (e.g., face-to-face versus Facebook), more or less overt or covert, more or less public or private, more or less calculated and systematic or spontaneous and incidental, more or less obvious as to motive (e.g., types of victims, sadistic, displaced aggression, monetary exploitation, fame terrorist), and more or less damaging and traumatic to victims.
All humans seek power and control, pleasure and comfort, and safety and security, doing so more or less adaptively (i.e., exercising their rights and meeting corresponding responsibilities); however, without adaptive learning environments and related protective and supportive structure, humans are inclined to seek power and control, pleasure and comfort, and safety and security maladaptively (i.e., by violating the rights of others or not meeting related responsibilities). Bullying is so common because the use of force and violence and/or deception and manipulation to control and motivate others are natural human tendencies. Put a group of children in a room full of toys without adult supervision and the more socially sophisticated and physically dominant children will soon have the toys they want.
Under ideal conditions, loving parents who know the difference between adaptive discipline and maladaptive permissiveness will teach their children adaptive social skills throughout their developmental years, establishing a good foundation before their children are school-age. However, conditions are never ideal and many children develop in a maladaptive learning environment which teaches them self-serving anti-social skills. In addition to maladaptive interpersonal behaviors, these "socially challenged" individuals act-out consistent with their learned anger, desires, and fears. Each social environment (e.g., home, schools, classrooms, neighborhoods, prisons, churches, group homes, internet forums) has its own level of tolerance and response to bullies and victims. Additionally, entire social environments can be maladaptive and encourage or glorify different types of bullying (e.g., gangs, institutional abuse by proxy). In fact, bullies in one social environment may become victims in another, consistent with the "laws of the jungle."
Both individuals and social environments must be actively managed in order to be adaptive. That is, natural tendencies consistent with bullying must NOT be entertained or reinforced, and bullying must be met with sure, swift, and relevant consequences. Without active management to the contrary, both individuals and social environments tend to become less adaptive (i.e., more self-serving and exploitive). That's one reason that laws, law enforcement, courts, and prisons are necessary.
In spite of the fact that bullies are a diverse population, they can still be profiled and divided into functional subcategories. One method for doing so is using the BRACE Work Adjustment Profile, which is a simple yet sophisticated assessment device designed for ongoing active treatment in developmental, mental health, educational, and correctional programs (e.g., therapeutic horticulture, any type of vocational or activity program, even a classroom). It also profiles maladaptive behavior for functional analysis and behavior problem solving. The BRACE Work Adjustment Profile has been successfully implemented in the public and private sectors, in both for profit and not-for-profit programs, and across the full range of special populations (e.g., developmental disability, criminal justice, vocational, mental health, severely medically restricted). It can be used by an individual service provider or parent, or it can be used by an interdisciplinary team.
The following two links are to free downloads of the BRACE Work Adjustment Profile manual, which is a PDF file, and a related Microsoft Excel program for generating reports and graphics (baseline, progress reports, entry-exit comparisons). Note that the program can be implemented without using the Excel report generating program. Also note that the sample profile and analysis presented in the manual is of a Mr. Y., who is a bully.
Manual
http://www.braceanalysis.com/downloads/WAP_MANUAL.pdf
Reports Program
http://www.braceanalysis.com/downloads/BRACE_WAP_Template.xlt
All my personal opinions,
Russell
All humans seek power and control, pleasure and comfort, and safety and security, doing so more or less adaptively (i.e., exercising their rights and meeting corresponding responsibilities); however, without adaptive learning environments and related protective and supportive structure, humans are inclined to seek power and control, pleasure and comfort, and safety and security maladaptively (i.e., by violating the rights of others or not meeting related responsibilities). Bullying is so common because the use of force and violence and/or deception and manipulation to control and motivate others are natural human tendencies. Put a group of children in a room full of toys without adult supervision and the more socially sophisticated and physically dominant children will soon have the toys they want.
Under ideal conditions, loving parents who know the difference between adaptive discipline and maladaptive permissiveness will teach their children adaptive social skills throughout their developmental years, establishing a good foundation before their children are school-age. However, conditions are never ideal and many children develop in a maladaptive learning environment which teaches them self-serving anti-social skills. In addition to maladaptive interpersonal behaviors, these "socially challenged" individuals act-out consistent with their learned anger, desires, and fears. Each social environment (e.g., home, schools, classrooms, neighborhoods, prisons, churches, group homes, internet forums) has its own level of tolerance and response to bullies and victims. Additionally, entire social environments can be maladaptive and encourage or glorify different types of bullying (e.g., gangs, institutional abuse by proxy). In fact, bullies in one social environment may become victims in another, consistent with the "laws of the jungle."
Both individuals and social environments must be actively managed in order to be adaptive. That is, natural tendencies consistent with bullying must NOT be entertained or reinforced, and bullying must be met with sure, swift, and relevant consequences. Without active management to the contrary, both individuals and social environments tend to become less adaptive (i.e., more self-serving and exploitive). That's one reason that laws, law enforcement, courts, and prisons are necessary.
In spite of the fact that bullies are a diverse population, they can still be profiled and divided into functional subcategories. One method for doing so is using the BRACE Work Adjustment Profile, which is a simple yet sophisticated assessment device designed for ongoing active treatment in developmental, mental health, educational, and correctional programs (e.g., therapeutic horticulture, any type of vocational or activity program, even a classroom). It also profiles maladaptive behavior for functional analysis and behavior problem solving. The BRACE Work Adjustment Profile has been successfully implemented in the public and private sectors, in both for profit and not-for-profit programs, and across the full range of special populations (e.g., developmental disability, criminal justice, vocational, mental health, severely medically restricted). It can be used by an individual service provider or parent, or it can be used by an interdisciplinary team.
The following two links are to free downloads of the BRACE Work Adjustment Profile manual, which is a PDF file, and a related Microsoft Excel program for generating reports and graphics (baseline, progress reports, entry-exit comparisons). Note that the program can be implemented without using the Excel report generating program. Also note that the sample profile and analysis presented in the manual is of a Mr. Y., who is a bully.
Manual
http://www.braceanalysis.com/downloads/WAP_MANUAL.pdf
Reports Program
http://www.braceanalysis.com/downloads/BRACE_WAP_Template.xlt
All my personal opinions,
Russell