The Survivor Guilt of Former Bulllies

Today's non-research post comes from feminist blog Jezebel.

The following short clip is from the television show Intervention and focuses on a topic not frequently explored: what happens to bullies when their aggression has tragic consequences? How do they live with--and respond to--the fallout?

At the center of the episode is former Columbine student Jason, a young man who admits that he was a bully and a jock in high school, whose name was found on a list of intended targets prepared by Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold. Jason believed that his bullying behavior was partially responsible for the massacre and began to descend into drug use to deal with this particularly bitter brand of survivor's guilt.

Though this story was Columbine-specific, it made me think of all the other instances in which pre-teen and teen bullies might have to live with the consequences of what could have been mean-spirited, but transitory, behavioral choices. Think of the myriad suicides of young people that have been attributed to bullying. Behind each of those is another child or group of children who pushed their target to the limit. I think it is easy to demonize these children but, as caring members of the community, we also need to be vigilant about keeping an eye out for their subsequent mental health. A reciprocal tragedy won't even the playing field.

As a teacher, this clip really made me think deeply about the complicated dynamics of high school. I feel that I have been very well-educated and informed about the consequences of bullying, but that most of the discourse and analysis I have been exposed to comes from the perspective of the victim. Perhaps we forget to look at the children who are the bullies and wonder how we can better serve them: by looking for (and understanding) the root of their aggressive behavior to expose any underlying problems and by supporting them for their positive social choices post-bullying behavior.

Intervention: The Legacy of Columbine Continues to Cause Harm (Jezebel.com)