Social Psychological Explanations

Social Learning Theory suggests that most behaviours, including bullying, are learned.
People learn behaviour through observation and imitation of others, often shaped by rewards or punishments.
Role models, such as parents, teachers or peers, play a crucial part in teaching these behaviours.
If bullying behaviour is rewarded (e.g., gaining status, attention or possessions), it is likely to be repeated.

Deindividuation

Deindividuation is a state of anonymity which can lead to loss of self-awareness and personal responsibility.
People are more likely to bully in group settings, especially online or in crowds, as they feel protected by their anonymity.
Deindividuation can cause people to act against their normal inhibitions and show aggressive or bullying behaviours.

Bystander Effect

The Bystander Effect suggests that individuals are less likely to help a victim when others are present.
The responsibility to help is diffused among the crowd and often nobody intervenes.
This can contribute to the continuation of bullying as the lack of intervention can be seen by the bully as acceptance or even endorsement of their behaviour.

The Social Identity Theory suggests that people can bully to improve their own group’s status at the expense of other groups.
As people identify more with their own ‘in-group’, they discriminate and tend to act aggressively towards the ‘out-group’.
This can lead to group-level bullying, such as gang violence or hate crimes.

Authoritarian Personality

The Authoritarian Personality theory argues that people who are brought up in strict environments tend to develop an attitude that favours obedience to authority, and they may become bullies to assert control.
Such individuals often view the world in black-and-white terms and are intolerant to ambiguity and difference.

As with biological explanations, social psychological explanations do not work alone to explain bullying behaviours. A combination of numerous factors may offer a more inclusive understanding.