Media releases

• Bullies likely to have more children than their peers: Brock research

  Tuesday, February 25, 2025 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE – February 25, 2025 – R0027

  A bully asserting their dominance on the playground or in the high school halls is likely to have more children in adulthood than their peers, new Brock University research has shown.

  In its recently published work, the Brock Research on Aggression and Victimization Experiences (BRAVE) group examined the link between adolescent bullying and the number of children a person has as an adult.

  The research findings indicate bullies tend to have more children than their non-bully counterparts, which may offer insight into the motivations behind their actions, says Professor of Child and Youth Studies Tony Volk.

  In addition to enhanced reproduction, research has also shown that other potential benefits of bullying include social dominance and popularity as well as obtaining resources such as money, academic rankings and scholarships.

  “This study shows us that bullying seems to be associated with some meaningful outcomes that help explain why kids do it,” Volk says. “This isn’t just ‘broken kids’ doing bad behaviour; it’s getting them important things that matter.”

  The recent findings build on previous BRAVE research that has indicated adolescent bullies date more and engage in more sexual activity than their peers — attracting potential mates by publicly asserting their dominance and establishing their position socially.

  In its latest work, the research team examined data from a longitudinal study that began in 2008 with hundreds of Grade 5 students from more than 50 southern Ontario schools. The long-term study is ongoing, with participants followed up with annually.

  To supplement this data, researchers gathered information from adults aged 24 to 35 who reported in retrospect on their bullying during adolescence.

  The research shows that higher levels of bullying in both men and women were associated with having children in young adulthood (by ages 23 or 24) in addition to having more children overall.

  Volk says the results support the idea that adolescent bullying is, at least in part, an evolutionary adaptation that may help individuals pass on their genes to future generations.

  “This research reinforces that bullying echoes beyond adolescence, affecting lives beyond high school — not only for the victims but also for the perpetrators,” he says.

  “We must pay attention to youth who achieve success and become popular through bullying, as they’re translating those actions into adult behaviour and may be passing that behaviour on to future generations,” Volk says. “If we don’t, they’re going to be the next bullies in our politics, our businesses, our hospitals — in critical areas of our lives.”

  By better understanding the motivations and the long-term outcomes, better interventions can be established to prevent bullying in the first place, he says.

  With the connection now established between bullying and reproduction, the BRAVE team has turned its attention to examining the upbringing of children born to bullies.

  “Are those kids being raised to be bullies? Are these parents being bullies to their kids?” Volk asks. “That’s the next important step to determine what’s happening after these kids are born and as they’re growing up.”

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Sarah Ackles, Communications Specialist, Brock University [email protected] or 289-241-5483

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  Categories: Media releases

• Why adults should step up to tackle bullying this Pink Shirt Day

  Friday, February 21, 2025 | By Brock University

  EXPERT ADVISORY  – February 21, 2025 – R0026

  Canadians may be globally known for their politeness, but Brock University experts say bullying is a prominent issue impacting the nation.

  “At least 20 per cent of youth in Canada experience bullying,” Ann Farrell, Assistant Professor of Child and Youth Studies, says. “Compared to other economically advanced countries, Canada continues to rank among the countries with the highest rates of bullying.”

  As Pink Shirt Day — which promotes kindness and inclusion in the face of bullying — nears on Feb. 26, Farrell is among a group of experts in the Brock Research on Aggression and Victimization Experiences (BRAVE) offering key insights to help address bullying in youth and adults.

  Tony Volk, Professor of Child and Youth Studies, says although Pink Shirt Day’s messaging is important, creating lasting change requires more than parents encouraging their kids to wear a coloured shirt once a year.

  Often treated as a “harmless rite of passage,” bullying can inflict mental and physical scars that last for decades, he says.

  Instead, he urges people to think of mental health like the bones of the body.

  “Some stress is good for strengthening bones. Too much, and you break a bone, leaving it permanently weakened,” he says. “We need to stop treating bullying like it’s some kind of beneficial vaccine that makes children stronger.”

  Volk says adults also need to realize that teens are always watching, taking cues on how to behave.

  “Longitudinal data has shown that when teens see people they view as important — such as parents, politicians or celebrities — bullying others, rates of teens bullying goes up too,” he says.

  “Instead of just telling teens they need to stop bullying and stick up for each other, we need to make sure that we are also getting that message through to adults. “

  Farrell says childhood bullying often leads to school absenteeism and poorer educational outcomes, as well as mental health difficulties in adulthood, including depression, anxiety and somatization — the physical expression of stress and emotions.

  Societal norms and cultures can contribute to the high rates of bullying in Canada, she says.

  “A culture of competition and coercion can contribute to bullying, whereas a culture of kindness, inclusion and co-operation can reduce bullying,” Farrell says.

  Creating change begins with encouraging kindness in everyday life, says Child and Youth Studies Postdoctoral Fellow Natalie Spadafora (BA/BEd ’13, MA ’15, PhD ’21), whose recent research shows rude behaviour spiked in Ontario classrooms following the COVID-19 pandemic.

  Civility may seem like a simple concept, she says, but it plays a large role in the everyday functioning of society.

  “Using manners, opening a door for someone and giving someone your full attention while they are talking to you are small things, but cumulatively, we know that these small acts make a difference in our day-to-day lives and relationships with those around us,” Spadafora says.

  “Unfortunately, a look around our current society shows incivility all around us.”

  The BRAVE team’s previous research on adolescents has shown that higher levels of incivility can be associated with higher levels of bullying.

  “In fact, engaging in uncivil behaviour in the classroom has been shown to predict bullying across time in adolescence,” Spadafora says. “This finding highlights the need to prevent and reduce lower-level antisocial behaviour such as incivility, in an effort to also reduce bullying behaviour across development.”

  Naomi Andrews, Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies, says there can also be a “lot of overlap” between teasing that is fun and playful and that which is hurtful and feels like bullying.

  That hurtful teasing can sometimes happen between friends, she says, and may not be intended to be mean or to cause harm.

  “Teasing where someone feels singled out or targeted seems to be particularly painful, with young adults in our research quite vividly remembering their pain even years later,” Andrews says.

  Hurtful teasing or other types of aggression from friends can be particularly damaging, she says, because it comes from a person who is supposed to be kind and supportive.

  So, how can parents tell the difference?

  Playful teasing is usually reciprocated, Andrews says, with those involved teasing each other back and forth.

  “There is positive emotion clearly shown through laughing or smiling, and those involved are paying attention to the verbal and non-verbal cues of the other person, stopping if it looks like they’re getting hurt,” Andrews says. “If someone doesn’t feel comfortable asking for the teasing to stop, or they do ask and it keeps going, that can be a marker of playful teasing that is crossing the line.”

  Child and Youth Studies Professor Tony Volk, Associate Professor Naomi Andrews, Assistant Professor Ann Farrell and Postdoctoral Fellow Natalie Spadafora are available for media interviews on this topic.

   

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  *Maryanne St. Denis, Manager, Content and Communications, Brock University, [email protected] or 905-246-0256

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  Categories: Media releases