Bullies quote #1: “Bullies are cruel and possibly irretrievable, but their anger and bullying behavior is often a displacement of their own lack of self-esteem and self-confidence. Mostly they are lost souls who do not know how to feel comfortable in the world. Their experience has been of failure, rejection, and lack of ability to function well.” – Sullovan, Cleary & Sullovan (2004, p.16)

Bullies quote #2: “See bullies for who they really are. Anger and aggression comes from unexpressed hurt and pain. …Think about what could be going on behind the scenes. Perhaps their parents divorced recently, they have a bully of their own, or they’ve been abused. Understanding this will help you rise above it.”  – Psychologist Jerry Weichman (quoted in Heller, 2011, p.87)

Bullies quote #3: “Educational psychologists describe a new kind of bullying. The perpetrators are attractive, athletic and academically accomplished – and comfortable enough around adults to know what they can and can’t get away with, in school and online. These bullies are so subtle and cunning it’s hard for school staff to know if what looks like bullying really is, and what to do about it.” – Journalist Rick Hampson (2010, p. 1A)

Bullies quote #4: “Bullying is often dismissed as part of growing up. But it is actually an early form of aggressive, violent behavior. What is bullying behavior in elementary school can easily turn into violence by middle and high school. …Bullies often cause serious problems that schools, families and neighbors ignore.” – Karen DeBord, Ph.D., & Stephanie Moore (2011, p.1)

Bullies quote #5: “In early adolescence, teenagers are usually dependent on peer approval and acceptance to the exclusion of all else. As they progress through adolescence their sense of individuality usually strengthens. What happens to many bullies is that their social development becomes stuck at the point where they win power and prestige through bullying, and they tend not to progress toward individuation and empathy as adolescents usually do. They get left behind.” -Sullovan, Cleary & Sullovan (2004, p. 17)

Bullies quote #6: “When I was eight, Mean Martha landed in my class and beat me up. Until she arrived, I’d been the class bully. Why’d she do it? I think it may have been for the same reason I did: growing up knowing only violence, domestic abuse at home.” – Joyce, 39, a Columbus, Ohio author (Weller, 2011, p. 118)

Bullies quote #7: “Self-confidence isn’t always enough. Bullies are often able to shake the confidence of even resilient children.” – Alison Seale (2004, p. 9)

Bullies quote #8: “When I was growing up, you had a tangible bully and a fight after school. Now you have hordes of bullies who are terrorizing over the Internet or other forms of social media.” – Senator Jeffrey Klein (D) (Alcindor, 2012)