Bullying Starts at Home

People argue that bullying starts in the home, but what if it’s bigger than that? Some cultures are known for their hierarchy of the family model. The man is at the head of the family; he and his sons are of the most importance, and the mother and children are secondary. This type of hierarchy often leads to bullying that begins in the home, and leaks out into the community, sometimes even an entire culture. What evidence the literature available to date demonstrates ethnic groups, or culturally indentified customs that promote bullying behaviors in men?

When someone thinks of bullying, a typical image that comes to mind is a school hallway, a bigger kid throwing a smaller kid into a locker, and some belittling phrases. However, bullying can occur in many different forms, and on different levels of severity. In some cultures, men are taught growing up that they are dominant over females. “Many have debated the definition of culture. Overall, most agree with the definition that culture is an acquired and transmitted pattern of shared meaning, feeling, and behavior that constitutes a distinctive human group” (Ayman & Korabik, 2010).

As these young boys grow up, become husbands and fathers, these men begin to treat their wives poorly, often bullying them verbally, mentally, or even physically. This bullying can lead to violence. When young children are involved, especially boys, they see the way their father treats their mother, learn that they do not have to respect their mother, and it becomes the norm for them too. When they become adults, they treat women the way it was modeled to them; as their father did. This can be a cultural norm for different ethnicities and cultures. When bullying infiltrates Bronfenbrenner’s macrosy...

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