Fears & Needs That Keep Bullying Alive Even Today | #PeopleSkills

What keeps bullying alive? Even with all the efforts to end bullying, it persists. Here are several fears and needs that keep bullying alive. What would you add to this list?



What Keeps Bullying Alive: Image is stormy waves.

Fears & Needs That Keep Bullying Alive Even Today. Image by Mariano Cuajao via Flickr.

Image by Mariano Cuajao via Flickr Creative Commons License.


Forces, Fears, & Needs That Keep Bullying Alive Today

What forces, fears, and needs keep bullying alive in all its forms? Looking at this question more closely can give us a road map to bringing an end to bullying.



  1. The inner need to dominate. Can we instead help others see that they matter without dominating?

  2. Societal values that push aggressive achievement of your dreams. Can we teach people they can achieve big without bullying?

  3. People holding on to old gender norms. Can we now make it OK for men to be less aggressive and for women to be more assertive?

  4. Fear of changing social norms. Do we need to have more discussions about the real fears behind that fear?

  5. Young bully victims who turn into adult bullies. Can we get young bully victims help and care before they become adult bullies?

  6. Protecting bullies because people bullied them at a young age. We must call for the current bully’s accountability to help them stop bullying now.


  7. More Forces, Fears, & Needs That Keep Bullying Alive

  8. Fear of speaking up for bullying victims. Can we muster courage to overcome our fear that bullies will then bully us?

  9. Confirmation bias. Can we overcome what we believe about someone (e.g. pals) when we learn they bully others? We must try so we can speak up to end bullying.

  10. Fear of being falsely accused. This fear brings us to protect bullies if there isn’t a witness. Can we see the higher need of bullies being accountable for their actions?

  11. Blaming victims. When will we stop this horrible practice? When will we stop asking victims for proof? Can we finally stop accusing them of not speaking up sooner

  12. Need to believe it couldn’t happen to us. We must remove this denial so we can stop blaming victims.


If we see aggressive behavior as a positive sign of strength, we will keep bullying alive. However, if we show that strength includes respecting others and speaking up to bullies, we can end bullying. Remember, standing up to a bully isn’t bullying! It is our duty to say no.



What would you add to this list of what keeps bullying alive?



From my professional experience to your success,
Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™

©2018 Kate Nasser, CAS, Inc. Somerville, NJ. I appreciate your sharing the link to this post on your social streams. However, if you want to re-post or republish the content of this post, please email info@katenasser.com for permission and guidelines. Thank you for respecting intellectual capital.


Kate Nasser, The People Skills Coach™, delivers coaching, consulting, training, and keynotes on leading change, employee engagement, teamwork, and delivering the ultimate customer service. She turns interaction obstacles into interpersonal success. See this site for workshop outlines, keynote footage, and customer results.


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