Are there any positive effects on bullying?

Answer 1

Actually, there might be. Certain types of cyberbullying force people and society to take a look at themselves. Here are some examples:

1. Attacks on memorial sites - Such attacks often point out the hypocrisy of the supporters of such sites and the friends and families of the deceased. Often, people have more good things to say on memorial sites than they do to people while they are alive and well. The presence of bullies/vandals calls attention to this. The people often care more about preserving the memory of the fallen, often praising them far beyond what they exemplified, all while not being so nice to the living among them.

2. Attacks against victims of high profile suicides - On YouTube, there is a bully who brags about how she drove a teen to suicide. She mocks and blames the victim, and even pretends to drink bleach or cut herself in the videos, and attacks the victim's fans. This is clearly in bad taste, and she probably should do some prison time. Now, one thing she points out in the videos and the comments is that the ones responding are no better than her (the bully). Sadly, that appears to be the case as you read the comments. Those commenting call for very cruel and violent things to happen to her. Yes, they are bullying the bully. That is a lesson on how not to respond to bullies.

3. Attacks in online games - The positive message here is that you don't have to let such games consume your life. If you are being bullied there, perhaps you are playing too many online games. The publishers often use bullying to their advantage to earn money off of selling special game items. If you are tempted to end it all over a game, you can instead just quit the game in question.

4. Attacks in message boards - Sometimes those who are victims might realize they are spending too much time there or learn that they said something bad. The bullying can provide a painful reminder to not say certain things. You should never wish sexual assault, AIDS, or murder on someone, and especially not out loud or online.

Answer 2

For some students, bullying does have positive effects. I know it sounds odd and perhaps not politically correct to say. But for those who already have healthy levels of self-confidence, exposure to bullying can help them to become even more firm in their own convictions and better able to be themselves. That is called being tried by fire.

However, not all children will experience the above. Their self-image is not as secure, and bullying can destroy what little they have gained rather than build it.