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."
