Can empathy be used to combat bullying?

Millions of children around the world are affected by bullying. According to estimates, 25 percent of children in Australia are bullied at some point in their lives, and 10 percent bully others. In the United States, the proportion of reported victims ranges between 10 and 28 percent. A global data overview by UNICEF found an even higher proportion: 32 percent of boys and 36 percent of girls.

Cyberbullying in particular is on the rise and affects up to 57 per cent of children worldwide. Certain groups, such as LGBTQI, are more vulnerable than others.

Bullying is unwanted aggressive behaviour that also involves a power imbalance. It is repeated with certainty or probability and causes injury or emotional distress to the victim. Young people sometimes view bullying as a rite of passage, a way of toughening children up for «real life».

But according to Antonella Brighi, professor of developmental psychology at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy, this is completely wrong. She has been studying the phenomenon for almost 15 years. «We are talking about a form of violence here,» she says.

From stomach ache to anxiety disorders

Accepting bullying means that «we agree to violence in our lives. That is not fair. It is not in line with the civil rights of all people, including children. It is a problem that limits children's participation in everyday school life and can have long-lasting effects.»

Some consequences of bullying can last into adulthood. Victims have more health problems than their peers, including psychosomatic symptoms such as stomach aches or insomnia, as well as mental health issues such as anxiety disorders, depression and suicidal thoughts – even as adults.

Preventing bullying mainly starts with understanding who might become a bully.

Bullies themselves may be at increased risk of health problems, antisocial behaviour and criminality in adulthood. Accordingly, bullying is increasingly recognised as a public health problem that requires prevention and intervention measures.

Preventing bullying mainly starts with understanding who might become a bully. In terms of the «five major personality traits», bullies tend to be less sociable, conscientious and open, but more extroverted and neurotic.

Deeper emotional intelligence

Neurotic children have an increased tendency towards emotional instability, which can include feelings such as anger or insecurity. Less open children tend to have a more rigid way of thinking and are less willing to consider other points of view.

Clearly, a combination of these characteristics can create a predisposition to bullying in these children. Compared to their peers, bullies generally have lower emotional intelligence and weaker emotional regulation.

Brighi wanted to find out where these characteristics overlap and whether emotional traits can be improved – for example, through emotional coaching. Could the risk of children becoming bullies be reduced by helping them develop better emotional intelligence in general or empathy in particular?

And could this be particularly helpful for children with the risk characteristics described above? If so, the benefits could be enormous: interventions based on emotional intelligence could really help prevent bullying.

Emotional intelligence and empathy helped to counteract the risk factors associated with certain personality traits.

Brighi and her colleagues found that emotional intelligence and empathy helped children aged eight to ten to counteract the risk factors of certain personality traits. For example, children who were less emotionally stable were more likely to start bullying others – unless they had higher emotional intelligence. Similarly, less conscientious children were more likely to be bullies – unless they had higher empathy.

«The good news is that even though we all have certain personality traits, certain skills can be learned,» says Brighi. She points out that helping children develop emotional intelligence and empathy could reduce the likelihood that they will bully other children later in life.

It is particularly interesting that this effect is already evident in young children aged between eight and ten. This means that intervention at an early age could bring significant long-term benefits.

This is particularly true because children learn from the behaviour of those around them. When they see bullying, they experience a «kind of progressive learning of aggression and a way of interacting with others that places violence and verbal abuse at the centre of their relationships,» says Brighi. «If we don't break this vicious circle, we risk the problem becoming much worse.»

Simple strategies can help

Based on her research findings, Brighi is currently testing an anti-bullying programme for teachers. However, carers and teachers do not need to wait for a structured anti-bullying intervention to make a difference.

Simple strategies can help children develop emotional intelligence: for example, mirroring a child's facial expressions, asking questions about their state of mind or asking them where in their body they feel emotions. «You can teach empathy simply by helping children understand another person's point of view,» explains Brighi.