Why it's not always bad to be bullied: Learning to fight back helps children mature, says study



It is considered one of the most stressful experiences of childhood.

But standing up to bullies and classroom enemies can help children develop, psychologists claim.

A study has shown that youngsters are more popular and more admired by teachers and friends if they return schoolyard hostility in kind.



Tormentor: Harry Potter faces off with his nemesis Draco Malfoy. Research has found children who stand up to bullies can be more popular and mature

Although the researchers accept that bullying can be damaging to children, leading to depression and anxiety, those who are not afraid to stand up for themselves can benefit from being picked on.

'Mutual dislike' can help students develop healthy social and emotional skills - and can sometimes have a bigger impact on their development than friendships, the researchers claim.

In a study of American children aged 11 and 12, researchers from the University of California, Los Angeles, compared those who stood up to aggressors with those who did not.

Children who returned hostility with hostility appeared to be the most mature, the researchers found.

Boys who stood up to bullies and schoolyard enemies were judged more socially competent by their teachers.

Girls who did the same were more popular and more admired by teachers and peers, the researchers found.

While the study did not suggest that it was healthy to be the victim of bullying, it found negative experiences could teach children about conflict resolution.

It could also give them an early lesson that not everybody in life is going to like them, the researchers said.

Psychologist Melissa Witkow, who is now at Willamette University in Oregon, said: 'The study backs up research from academic Helene Guldberg, child development expert at the Open University, who said teachers should not protect pupils from playground spats as they can help them handle difficult events in the future.'

However, anti-bullying campaigners condemned her remarks at the time, saying teachers needed to be vigilant about the problem.

Some celebrities have reflected on how fighting back against bullies helped define their childhood.

Comedian Eddie Izzard said he became a 'rock' after fighting off bullies at the six boarding schools he attended.

'No one was going to give me a hard time because I was going to give them a hard time,' he said.

'I was already built to resist any problems that would come up.'

Michelle Heaton, the former Liberty X singer, was bullied at school because she was overweight.

'It was horrible but it made me a better person,' she revealed in an interview.











