Likely to have more dates and more sex when they grow up, research says

Bullies pick on and intimidate others because it makes them more popular

Two new studies find child bullies are well-adjusted and calculating

Bullies have more sex appeal and a higher social standing than everyone else, research has found.

Child bullies are well adjusted people who are coldly calculating and intimidate others because it makes them more popular.

Later in life they have more dates and more sex than the rest of their former classmates, the study showed.

Success: A Canadian study has found child bullies are well adjusted people who torment others because it makes them more popular. Later in life they have more dates and more sex than their classmates (file image)

'Celebrity bully': The study might explain why people like Gordon Ramsay are a hit with the opposite sex

The findings challenge the theory held by many that bullies learn their behaviour from their dysfunctional parents.

In fact there is nothing wrong with them and they are just using bullying as a ‘tool’ to get ahead.

The two Canadian studies may go some way to explaining why celebrity bullies like Gordon Ramsay are a hit with women - even though they have explosive tempers.

Simon Fraser University criminologist Jennifer Wong surveyed 135 teenagers from a high school in Vancouver with a questionnaire about bullying.

The pupils were asked how often they were hit, kicked or shoved and from that they were divided into categories; bully, bystander, victim or victim-bully.

Big egos: Bullies scored highest when it came to social status and self-esteem in the tests (file image)

The results showed that bullies, who accounted for around 11 per cent of the group, scored highest when it came to social status and self-esteem.

They also came lowest when it came to depression.

Miss Wong said the study showed that punishing a bully does not often work and in fact could enhance bullies’ social status through notoriety.

She said: ‘Humans tend to try to establish a rank hierarchy.

‘When you’re in high school, it’s a very limited arena in which you can establish your rank, and climbing the social ladder to be on top is one of the main ways.

‘Bullying is a tool you can use to get there.’

Preliminary findings of a separate study by Brock University psychologist Tony Volk backed up the conclusions.

He has been piloting a project in a school in Arizona to channel bullies’ anger by doing high profile tasks such as the front door greeter.

Mr Volk said among the 178 teenagers he studied the instances of bullying fell ‘dramatically’ after the programme was introduced.

Mr Volk said that having a ‘zero tolerance’ approach to bullying doesn’t work because bullies were smart and feel that they are being told: ‘Give us this behavior that’s benefiting you for nothing’.

Instead we should offer them incentives which give them something in exchange for modifying how they act.

Mr Volk said his findings showed that 10percent of bullies are what he called ‘bully victims’ who are what we imagine them to be; children who learned their behavior from other people such as their parents.

But the other 90percent are what he called ‘pure bullies’ who ‘don’t seem to show any kind of social or cognitive deficits’.

Mr Volk said: ‘They have the good social skills, they’re just using them in a bad way’.

Not only that, they get more sex too.

'Concerning': Rob Frenette, co-founder of support group Bullying Canada, disagreed with the findings of the survery and said that most bullies do have some kind of issue that needs to be addressed with help

Mr Volk said: ‘Our preliminary research shows that they do have more dates but in particular the data is really clear for sex behaviour.

‘Bullies as young adolescents or as university students are getting more sexual partners and are less likely to be virgins than victims or people who are not involved in bullying.’

Both studies were first reported by the National Post, a Canadian newspaper.

Rob Frenette, co-founder of support group Bullying Canada, disagreed and said that most bullies do have some kind of issue that needs to be addressed.

He said: ‘This is kind of stepping backward and that’s concerning.