The Bullying
The BULLYING is a reaction of assault/aggression, for example; it is a phenomenon which mainly reveals oneself in adolescence. We will try to explain it in a scientific way in accordance with the biological theory of the mind by A. Bernardini. Let’s take, hence, into consideration the following:
- A) the perception of the internal space.
- B) the perception of the external space.
- C) their interrelation.
A – We will consider the muscular skeletal system like the physic reference system on which the displacement caused by muscular energy is mapped giving rise to neuronal pathways.
During the adolescence, the lever arms of the muscular skeletal apparatus are in a continuous evolution as well as the muscular energy which moves them; the reference system, on which the energy of both spaces must align, changes very fast and continuously. On the other hand, the biological substrate is altered by a hormonal storm which affects the neurotransmitter’s activity (rhythm and speed). After all, the child has difficulties to perceive in a conscious way his own body/internal space (crucial point of reference according to the biological theory of the mind); at the same time, he has difficulties to understand his sexual identity and the passage from childhood to the adult life.
B –To these biological and psychological issues of the internal space, the ones of the external space are added; that is: the family and the global, multi-ethnic, technologic advanced society. Often the origin family is unable to accomplish her main task which, according to us, it is the one to be a reliable reference external point (not only affection how the traditional psychology intends). The latter is necessary to the adolescent because, in this particular period of his life, he cannot rely on his internal point of reference to understand the external environment in a suitable way.
In the current society the familiar context, on the one hand, it loses unity and authority, on the other hand, it gets rich by variables such as place of origin, culture, religion, ethnos, education, health and economic conditions, etc. All of these conditions and variables are expressed and represented in the school where the boys have to interact and compare among them without a sure, internal criteria of reference (own body). Moreover, their performances/answers are considered and evaluated. In this context even the external reference point, the parental figure for example, is substituted by the teachers. Nothing of what we have only just illustrated it can give the boy a sure reference system waiting for his own gets stability. A this point we can glimpse the broking point between adolescence of the past generation and the current one. What’s changed? Surely not the typical problems of the adolescence relative to the internal space; the causes, hence, must be inquired into the influence that the technological advanced society has on the family and on the structure of the self.
C – The adolescents of the current society, instead of to be followed and underpinned by the unit and attentive family, more and more, they are left in company of video games, ply station, tv, tablet, smartphone etc. whereas the parent’s expectations are more and more exacting and the society’s demands more and more selective and few adherent to the effective needs of the individual. We can say the external point of reference and the support the family should give is in a large part replaced by technological tools. The latter, how above discussed, are responsible for an inadequate, pathological, cognitive and behavioural development. These tools are attractive, easy to use and planned to satisfy most of the false needs which the advertisement, scientifically spread, suggests and promotes; they satisfy even the parent’s illusion to control their children. The technological tools become a lethal weapon in the hands of adolescents who are unable to manage the own self yet.
The familiar models are replaced by hero able to overcome any adverse situation in the virtual reality. The ability of these adolescents to perceive the factual reality is distort and cut down as well as their cognitive and adaptive abilities towards a more and more articulate and complex reality. The difference between virtual and factual reality is always less perceived. The consequences are proportional to the power of technic and to the user’s disabilities.
If we think even the use of a simple kitchen knife it is not allowed to child until he shows to have enough abilities to use it because he does not cause injury against himself and the others, we will realize that the adult ignores and/or he is in the dark about the correlation between cognitive and behavioural deficits and the use-abuse of the technological tools. They are seemingly harmless, considered spreaders of knowledge, extraordinarily trendy, but most of all they are drive of a large and profitable deal.
The use-abuse of these tools affects the cognitive process development according to the individual make-up and the variable of the external space, how above mentioned. The perceptive deviation along a sole directional axis they cause can contribute to the structure of the overgrown, narcissistic self, or depressed self. In both cases the perception of the self is altered with consistent, unfit and/or pathological answer/behaviours. These answers then are rapidly spread, magnified on line (cyber bulling) so that the weak structure of the target depressed self is destroyed until to bring him to suicide, some times.
Among researchers and professional the definition which seems to have earned more consensus, describes the bullying as the following:
- Aggressive behaviour with intention to be wrong.
- Repeated in the time.
- In an interpersonal relation characterized by a real or perceived unbalance of power and strength.
- It seems to happen without apparent provocation from target person.
How we have more times asserted, the primary man’s need is the self-realization. The self of the tough guy is an overgrown, narcissistic self. As a consequence of his difficulties in the passage from objective to subjective, he is unable to compare with others, his cognitive abilities are reduced, scholastic results are often disappointing; but the sole way to give un answer to the primary man’s need is the one to relate to others in accordance with the perception which everyone has of own self. The self-perception of the tough guy is the one of the narcissistic children; that is: poor self-esteem, poor empathy and omnipotence.
On the basis of our theory, now we can give un answer to the tough guy’s behaviour. He surrounds himself with age group in order to respond to need to be underpinned, he attacks the depressed because both have similar perceptive abilities. This allows them to establish a particular relationship. What changes is the motivation which drives them to organize their answers: aggressive or subjugated, to attack or suffer. In turn the motivation, depends on the social environment (family, context etc.) as above discussed.
On the depressed subject, the tough guy perceives as in a mirror what for him represents the negativity, what prevents him to realize his own self and attacks him with anger. These attacks are repeated either in the time or in the way. In the time until the perceptive deficit persists; in the way because the characteristic of the mental process which develops along a sole directional axis, gives rise to a repetitive answer (cause-effect) which is impossible to plan and to control. Also, the target person does not provoke because that does not fit with his motivation; he does not react because he is unable to plan a suitable answer.
Under this point of view, the bullying cannot be considered un abuse, as some researchers assert, rather un assault to own negativity the tough guy sees reflect on his simile. We define the bullying a perceptive, cognitive, behavioural deficit which can be prevented and re-educated. The intentionality to be wrong is not direct at the other but at himself and it lacks of consciousness.