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Even as viral videos of bullying continue to surface — the latest of which featured 68 year-old bus monitor Karen Klein, taunted by students over everything from her job to the suicide of her own son — often overlooked are the few theorists who’ve come forward, offering their own explanations over what causes bullying to begin with.
The latest is a licensed professional counselor, Brett Ellard, who firmly believes that the root cause of such behavior, in both males and females, could be the lack of an authentic father figure in life.
In an article by Shawnee News-Star Staff Reporter Matthew Montgomery in Oklahoma newspaper The Ardmoreite.com, Ellard states, “I think one of the primary factors that we see most often is what we would call an absent father figure….It could be (one) who’s in the home all the time but is not emotionally available to the child.” Ellard believes that even with a mother acting as the primary caregiver/example-setter, the pure lack of a dad setting some sort of good example often leads to the bullying behavior we witnessed on that tape.
Ellard believes that such an upbringing, or lack thereof, often results in something called ‘insecure attachment style.’ This often manifests in a couple different ways: 1) An inflated view of self, and a looking-down upon others; or 2) the opposite, when people see others as inflated and themselves as unworthy.
While not a psychologist, The Ardmoreite reports that Elliard believes that bullying starts at the core of family life, with the absence of a father figure. Ellard believes that it’s lack of a father who’s emotionally available and forthcoming that leads to such behavior. Insecurity, Ellard says, is what often leads children to ‘experiment’ with bullying — often to try gaining the approval of others. A father or father figure is needed to restore the balance and make sure the child knows such behavior is not appropriate.
Dr. Renae Duncan, PhD, an education specialist, sort of seconds this notion, and also adds that it can lead to more victimization as well. Duncan believes that an emotionally absent or distant father — combined with an emotionally overprotective and sometimes coddling mother — can lead to more sensitivity in victims of bullying, which in turn causes more bullying (from those who see such sensitivity as an opportunity).
Boys traditionally learn from their fathers how to deal with bullies, says Duncan, and if there’s an absence on how to deal with it, that’s often where trouble begins — even as early as age 4.
Ellard seconds this, saying that “if there is not a healthy, masculine figure there to make corrections then we simply see this evolve over time, whether it’s out of feelings of inferiority or superiority.” What it comes down to, believes Ellard, is the need for ‘significance’ or to be noticed, and the ‘reward’ of getting attention can become a habit.
I guess the real question is how much validity such a theory holds. While it’s nice to hear experienced professionals offering advice, it’s also worth repeating that Ellard is a Christian Counselor — noting that Oklahoma’s The Ardmoreite is published in a traditionally Republican/conservative town, and is owned by Gatehouse Media, Inc. which also publishes The Daily Republican. so could this be something to perhaps determine the root causes of bullying but also perhaps be a way to further the Republican ideology of what a traditional ‘family’ is/means?
Jeff Nau – who has written 1264 posts on The Jace Hall Show.
Jeff Nau is a main contributor to the Jace Hall Show covering pop culture and music trends in the nerd community. He has contributed to San Diego City Beat, 944, and Ill Literature, amongst others, and spends his spare time working as an artist and photographer.

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